Song of the Phoenix
by KaT aka Mistress Shinigami
Summary: AU! A murder at Winner Apartments has Inv. Po and Inv. Chang baffled. Trowa is the prime suspect, but Midii believes there is more to this case than meets the eye, & now numerous 'accidents' raise suspicion...**5xS, 6x9, 2xH, 3xM, 1xR**
1. You Have My Eternal Silence

A/N: Just a story that's been bouncing around in my rather empty head. Updates for this (as well as for "Windows To The Soul") will come slower than normal, because I am still working on finishing "When We Were Young," and since I started that first I will finish it first as promised. Well, I hope you enjoy this first bit...and please review! Oh and if you are bored or want some other stories to read...check out my archive =^-^=                                    

This will have adult themes, and if stuff like that offends you, then just remember I warned you. It is very loosely based on the book "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings," so if you've read some of the book you know what I mean. But the mature themes you won't have to worry about for this chapter. 

I've never written stories with people who use sign language in them. I did my best and I hope it worked out alright. 

Disclaimer: I don't own them...I'm just using them to satisfy my overactive imagination! ^_^

                                                              Chapter One:

"You Have My Eternal Silence"

For as long as Anne could remember, the young intern would never speak a word. She chose to use sign language, a method which, thankfully, was becoming more widespread. Anne would occasionally hear the woman hum, or maybe even grunt or murmur an acknowledgement. However, the dark blonde woman had never uttered a word. She had been working as an intern for their police squad about two years. Had she been vocal, they would have gladly hired the young woman as an officer. She was capable and knowledgeable enough for the part, but her handicap stopped her from receiving her license. So she was stuck with filing reports and paperwork, a job that was suited for a person of lesser skill, but nonetheless given to the young woman. 

When the woman had come into her office, Anne had been surprised that a girl so young could want to become part of a police squad. She looked barely over eighteen, and at the time Anne wondered if she had made the right decision. The woman's past was clearly hidden, considering the only thing she knew was that she was of half Chinese origin, and that her name was Sally Po.

Funny, though, on her medical report Sally Po was not labeled as a mute. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sally Po cleared her throat, and the young officer looked up at her with a slight frown.

  


"Something wrong, Sally?" the raven-haired woman asked, but Sally did not chide her for calling her by her first name. They were, after all, best friends. 

::I need your report, Lu,:: Sally signed, smiling as a look of recognition lit up the Italian's face.

"Of course! How could I forget?" Lucrezia Noin berated herself, taking a manila envelope and handing it to the dark blonde woman, "Thanks for looking it over for me," she told the intern truthfully, standing up and stretching her long legs.

Sally merely nodded, turning back to the computer that was a permanent fixture on her desk. She typed in a few figures, the curser clicked in acknowledgment. With that done, Sally returned to the tedious work of reviewing the officer's reviews. That had always sounded so funny to Sally. Reviewing people's reviews. 

"It doesn't have to be like this," Sally thought to herself. The same thoughts that constantly haunted her waking and sleeping hours, "If only I would just let go of the past and embraced the future, I could be just as good as an officer as Anne, or Noin. But I can't forget the past. My future was taken away from me when I was fourteen and I can't do anything to change that. I am not worthy enough to even try."

Shaking the depressing, if not familiar thoughts from her headed and preceeding to check over the reports, her eyes burning both from the hours of strenuous work and from hot tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks. 

The door of Sally's modest office opened once again, this time the officer walking in was a certain Heero Yuy. Sally was never bothered by Heero's company; his silent tendencies and stoic attitude never compelled him to ask more questions then necessary. He never felt the need to pry into the life of Sally Po, and for this Sally was grateful to the young man. Certain things were best left secret, for Sally had no desire to divulge in the humiliation and branding of her past. If mystery was her middle name then Stubborn was undoubtly her first.  She refused to bend to people's wills unless she felt compelled to. And that was like the mountain compelling to bend to the wind. 

Heero handed her a manila folder similar to the one she had been given previously by Noin. Sally took it with trepidation, knowing this meant at least an extra half an hour of work. With a mumbled "Thanks," Heero Yuy was out of her office, shutting it noiselessly. Everything he did was quite like that. Stealthily and without anyone ever taking notice. Sometimes Sally wished people would not take notice of her.                

She tried to blend in, to not be someone to turn people's heads, but it was a trait that she could never acquire. The blonde dressed in loose clothing of neutral colors in an effort to go unnoticed, but the technique never worked. She tried other methods of concealing herself but people still took notice of her too much for her liking. 

  


That wasn't the only reason she wore baggy clothing. She scoffed at the women who flounced around in tight shirts and barely there shorts. Those girls were practically begging any guy to walk up and fuck them. Sally hoped she was never looked at in that perspective. She shuddered, sending a curse to the person who made her this miserable.

Sally never used to be one for hiding. She'd do what she'd please and if that didn't suit you then that was too damn bad. This often was her downfall, considering how strict her father had been with her. Her family had always been so traditionalist. Not as bad as some families, but women in the Po household held little respect. 

Sally shook her head. She needn't reminisce about her childhood, or lack thereof. No, she had not been a child since she was fourteen...the day she had ran away from what she had once called home. Ran away from her childhood...the only life she had ever known. 

She hadn't spoken of that day since. Literally. 

The distinct opening of her office door caused Sally to glance up, annoyance evident on her pretty face. So many interruptions, and not enough time to finish her work, and she didn't exactly feel like pulling a double shift tonight. Sally was surprised, to say the least, that it was the chief of the police squad, Anne, but known to most as Une. Her brown eyes regarded Sally coolly, before offering the Chinese woman a small smile.

"I have an offer you may want to take up on, Miss Po," Une told her, the secretiveness hanging in the air thickly, causing Sally to glance sharply at the older woman with a sudden raptness in attention, which had so briefly before been courteous acknowledgment. 

Une seemed to enjoy having the power of knowledge where the other woman was ignorant, but she didn't make her employee wait too long for her information. 

"An opening has arrived in the investigations department," the brunette began, her brown eyes boring into Sally's sky blue ones, " and I suggested a certain young intern that might be suited for the job of an investigator..." 

Sally's eyes grew wide and she clasped to hands together happily. No more paperwork! If she became an investigator she wouldn't be sent on "fire" missions, like robberies and hostage situations, but she would be the one analyzing the scene, compiling the data, and viewing suspects. Sally's hands flew as she signed Une a hurried "thank you," wanting to jump up and tell Lu right away, but Une's raised hand stopped her.

Sally sighed, knowing what was coming next.

::What's the condition?:: she signed, hoping her annoyance showed on her face. It did, of course, causing her superior to chuckle and place a lock of brown hair behind her ear.

  


"You are to work with a permanent partner, in case things get out of hand and you need...well..." Une trailed off.

::Speech?:: Sally offered, her look was one of annoyance but there was understanding in her light blue eyes.

Une was grateful for Sally's reasoning. The young woman really did deserve this job, Une decided. She had been working diligently for so long, and she was competent enough to handle the position, it was just that damned health of hers. Une knew she could speak if she wanted to, but for some reason the young blonde chose not to. Une shrugged it off, not like it was any of her business anyway. 

Une shook out of her reverie and continued to drill Sally with information.

"We were able to find a partner, equal in your intelligence on the field. He is from a different squad and I don't think you've met him..." Une went to the door, looking down the hall. She made a motion with her hand and Sally watched as a young man of Chinese origin walked in behind Une. He had jet-black hair, which was pulled back in a slick ponytail. His eyes were obsidian, and looked intensely at Sally, as if he knew what she was hiding. Sally took a deep, but shaky breath to try and steady herself. She knew there was no way this young man could no what she had been through...what she had shared with no one. 

Une gave Sally what the young woman guessed was a smile, though it seemed rather forced.

"Sally, I'd like you to meet Wufei Chang," Une said, then turned to Wufei, "Wufei, this is Sally Po. She will be your partner starting Monday," Une looked up sharply, as if just considering something, "If that is alright with you, Sally." 

It seemed more of a statement then a question, so Sally offered the woman nothing except a small nod. Sally then directed her gaze back to her new partner, now identified as Wufei. He was staring at her desk, which was covered in stacks of papers and manila folders. Unable to keep the slight blush from staining her cheeks, Sally quickly began reorganizing her cluttered desktop. 

Une let out an unlady-like snort, her gaze shifting back and forth from Sally to Wufei.

"I can tell you're both going to be a lively bunch," She said sarcastically, but her voice was tainted with amusement. Sally merely looked up, offering her superior a tiny smile while Wufei simply grunted.

Sally shook her head, "And I thought he was supposed to talk when I was unable to," she thought sardonically.

  


Une cleared her throat with some hints of impatience, and the young Chinese woman redirected her gaze back to the brunette. 

"Wufei will have the office across from yours," she said, making a move for the door, "I will get you both familiarized with the program on Monday."

With that, the officer walked out the door, her boots clipping mechanically on the linoleum floor. Wufei offered her a small nod, then turned and went to get a few necessities for his new office, shutting Sally's door behind him. 

This left Sally alone with her thoughts. She had finally gotten rid of her ridiculous desk job. She grinned, her blue eyes alight with pure happiness for the first time in a long while. She suddenly remembered she would be working alongside a not-so-talkative Wufei. But Sally didn't let it bother her, after all she didn't mind Heero's company, and wasn't Wufei acting like an exact replica of the officer?  

"You shouldn't be angry," her conscious, told her, "After all, you didn't speak not literally a word to him either. 

A feeling of complete loneliness swept around her, and Sally hugged her arms around her upper torso.

::It was a pleasure meeting you,:: Sally signed to the empty room, but no one could see her, and she would never be heard again. Her blonde head dropped to her chest in silent depression. 

Her sadness didn't last long, however, because the happiness of the situation was enough to blot out the depression. She immediately sprang to her door, rushing out of her office and almost bowling over a few officers in her haste to get to Noin's office. Not bothering to knock, she threw the door open and immediately backed up, motioning her apologies. 

Noin barely gave Sally acknowledgment, for she was too busy glaring at the person standing on the opposite side of the room, who's expression was devoid of emotion. Sally recognized him as Zechs Merquise, a talented blonde officer who had joined up not too long ago. Noin had told Sally that she had gone to high school with Zechs, but other than that Sally knew little about the man. 

Zechs took advantage of the fact that Sally had barged in, and began walking towards the door. 

"I see you have company, I'll be going," he said dully, and as he turned to go Sally saw a flash of sorrow in his ice blue eyes, but he made no comment to explain his gloom.  

"This isn't finished," Noin called after him, before turning to Sally. What was once anger in her friend's violet eyes was now helpless grief. She leaned against her desk to control her legs from trembling and collapsing underneath her.  

  


Sally felt sheepish for coming to share her happiness with Noin, when her friend was obviously so upset. She wrapped a comforting arm around the Italian, and led her to her chair, allowing her to sit down. 

::Want to tell me about it?:: Sally inquired, handing Noin a tissue from a box on her desk. 

Noin sniffed, taking the tissue wordlessly. Sally allowed her to whimper for a while. She knew how it felt to feel depressed, so she allowed Noin to vent her feelings. 

"Well," Noin began, her voice still slightly wobbly although her tears had long since dried up, "Une noticed how Zechs and I had knew each other in high school."

Sally nodded encouragingly, giving Noin her undivided attention.

"And, so," Noin continued, " She asked if I would allow Zechs to shadow me for awhile, so he could get used to how things are run around here. And, I dunno, Sal, we just started arguing and then he brought up something from school. I don't want to talk about it, though."

Sally nodded her understanding. She knew how it felt to have events from the past be slapped into your face. It was hard. Not to mention soul shattering. Sally grimaced; her soul had been shattered a long time ago.  

::I understand, Lu,:: she signed, and then hesitated, before continuing, ::I don't think he meant to hurt you. He looked so regretful as he was leaving, if I hadn't interrupted I'm sure he would have apologized.::

Lucrezia's face instantly brightened somewhat, her dull violet eyes regained some of the spark they had lost.

"Well he's gonna hafta say sorry soon 'cause I sure as hell am not gonna forgive him until he does," Noin said lightly, and Sally smiled.  

Lu suddenly appeared thoughtful for a moment, and then turned to Sally with a sheepish smile.

"I forgot to ask, did you need something?" she asked.

Sally suddenly remembered the reason for her quick visit, and allowed a small smile to brighten her normally placid features.

::I got promoted to investigator!:: she signed quickly, and Noin could see the joy the Chinese woman kept concealed. 

"That's great, Sal!" she said happily, "when do you start?"

  


::Monday,:: Sally informed her.

"So you have all weekend to prepare," Noin said with a wink. Sally offered her a grin, and then walked out of her office. 

Sally was so happy, that she raced through all of her paperwork and was able to leave work on time. In fact the whole police squad was in good spirits, except perhaps Noin and Zechs. There wasn't a soul on the squad who didn't hold Sally in high regards, and many were happy she had finally gotten what she had worked so hard for. 

Now they just had to find a new intern......

A/N: That is all for Chapter One!!! How did ya like so far? I'm enjoying writing this immensely, and I just type a few pages whenever I have some spare time. In case anyone was wondering, this is going to have multiple pairings. I just placed it under Sally and Wufei because that will be the main pairing. **sigh** unfortunately that is one of the least popular non yaoi pairings, so I am not expecting a whole lot of reviews. Please surprise me...review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Luvvies, KaT aka Mistress Shinigami 


	2. The Calm Before the Storm

A/N: An introduction to more characters!!! Yippee!!! I'm also working on my other chapters for WWWY and WTTS. I haven't updated this so I decided to finish up this chapter I've been working on in my (miniscule) spare time. 

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em

"The Calm Before the Storm"

Trowa turned the key to his apartment door, his long straight nose sniffing the air as he stepped inside and placed his bag on the floor. Following the heavenly smell towards the small kitchen, he observed silently as a thin red-haired woman stood over a stove. Catherine, the woman, appeared to be stirring something in a skillet, something that smelled strangely like spaghetti sauce. Catherine turned to smile at him. 

"Welcome home, brother," she said happily, her violet eyes shining at her younger sibling. 

Trowa did not smile, but his emerald eyes lit up as he greeted her in return. 

"Hello, Catherine," he said quietly, stepping up behind her so he could see into the skillet. His suspicions were proved correct, for inside the pan was red meat sauce, littered here and there with golf ball-sized meatballs. His gaze traveled to the sink where some noodles were already draining. 

"How did work go?" she asked casually, testing the sauce with her finger before turning the burner off. 

"Same as always," he replied. 

Trowa worked as a mechanic for a car shop. His work was the only support for Catherine and him, so he did not take it lightly. He hoped to be promoted to manager when the old manager retired. Truthfully, he was one of the only likely candidates for the job. The only other option would be Jason Sprague, but Trowa doubted the job would go to him. And, though he never admitted it, he wanted that job more than anything. His pay would be much higher with the position of manager, and that was what he had been striving for. 

That was Trowa's goal in life, to make enough money to bring him and Catherine out of the slums. His sister deserved so much better, so he tried to make that possible for her. It was never easy, but then again he didn't expect it to be. Under his normal salaries, Trowa would not be able to pay the apartment rent. The landlord had made them a special deal, however, and to that the siblings were forever grateful.   

  


When his parents had abandoned them, Trowa had been fearful about finding a job and, although he was the younger, take care of his sister. So the landlord, Mr. Winner, had made a deal with Trowa, unbeknownst to Catherine. He didn't want her to know how bad off they were. They had dealt with worse and even if it killed him.

Trowa would make sure Catherine had better.                        

"Would you set the table please?" Catherine called over her slender shoulder. 

Trowa nodded, opening the cabinet and pulling out a pair of old plastic plates. Break-proof was what Catherine always called them Personally, he preferred the term cheap. Setting them on a small table, he then placed silverware, forks on the left, spoon and knife on the right of the plate. Although they didn't entertain much, Catherine enjoyed having things proper and in their place. This suited him fine...he was never one for messiness either. 

            Catherine walked up to the table, setting down a big bowl in the middle. She then busied herself with pouring them each a glass of water, and then seating herself across from her brother. 

The meal went on in silence. There was never much to talk about at dinnertime. Catherine stayed home all day, managing the house, grocery and such. Trowa worked all day, and never was the talkative sort. It was no matter, though. Things were quite the same. Just an ordinary day. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The young blonde-haired man massaged his temples with more than a little weariness. Business in his apartment building was slow, which was quite surprising to him. Quatre personally made sure he offered the lowest prices available. Not just to beat competition, for he was actually just a kind person. This often was his downfall, for there was many people in the world who would gladly take advantage of someone like him. That is why kindness is so scarcely found. All of this, however, did not deter Quatre, and he pressed ever on; never changing himself to suit others. 

His usual go-gettem attitude was lacking tonight. The number of people taking up residance at his apartment complex was slowly growing to be less and less. So far he only had three apartments rented out; one to a middle-aged man, one to a young single mother, one to a young man, and one to a young brother and sister. This was not considered good business. 

Despite short profits, he was not short on money. His father ran a rich company, and had wanted Quatre to take over when he retired. Quatre had declined, choosing instead to blaze his own trail, wherever that may lead him. So far, he was going in circles, and getting nowhere really fast. 

  


Still, something made the young landlord carry on, although if you asked him what it was he certainly could not tell you. He hoped the hardships proved to be a humbling and growing experience. He did not seem to change, however, and this baffled the young Arabian. Had he looked closer, he may have noticed he was humble and mature to begin with. Modesty was too strong in him, though, and he continued to believe he did not deserve the high living he lived. For there were people who had less, he knew...and what made him better than everyone else? 

Despite these much sought-after qualities naturally born to him, Quatre did not have a steady love life. He told himself he was much too busy with the business to keep a relationship. Although this was true, he knew he was just making excuses. 

            _Ring                                           _

Quatre glared at the desk phone. It didn't do much to diminish his pounding headache. Maybe whoever was calling would just hang up. 

_Ring_

"Oh please just go away," Quatre whispered. He wasn't normally one to whine, but this was one helluva headache. 

_Ring_

With a sigh of resignation, the blonde Arabian picked up the phone, trying his best to sound cheerful. Happy facades were his specialty. 

"Hello; you have reached Winner Apartments. How may I help you?" Quatre said, trying to sound chirpy, but from the sound of a chuckle on the other end of the line, he knew he failed miserabley. 

"Hello," said an upbeat woman's voice, "My name is Hilde Schbeiker, and I'm looking for an apartment to rent."

Quatre grinned with a genuine smile. Finally, someone new would be moving in. 

"All right Ms. Schbeiker, how many people will be living in the apartment and what size were you looking for?" he asked, his mood lightening with the prospect of a new resident. Maybe his apartment building would hold out after all. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A petite blonde woman chewed on the end of her pencil thoughtfully. It had been awhile since she had a good case, and the lack of business was grating on her nerves. Though she hated to admit it, she wished a nice, juicy case would come up. Nothing too violent, but something that would challenge the woman's skill and intellect.  Maybe then things would pick up around here. Her office was one of the most prestigious around, and the lack of business was quite baffling. 

  


People in need of a good lawyer most often would turn to her, Midii & Co Lawfirm. Truthfully, there was no Co, just Midii, but she thought it sounded pretty cool. She had left out her last name, however, so people would not mistake her for the head of police, Anne Une. Let people come to her because she was good, not because someone with the same last name was the head of the police squad. 

And Midii was good, a damn good lawyer. But a lawyer needs a case in order to prove herself. 

Little did she know, a case was about to land right in her lap. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sally walked into the police department, feeling unusually happy. As she walked by familiar faces, they grumbled jealously at her. Fellow officers cradled coffees in their hands, eyes laden with sleep. It was a Monday morning and, as far as they were concerned, the worst day of the week. The fact that Sally was smiling, her light blue eyes sparkling, made them feel even more dejected. They're whining caused Sally to grin even broader, which caused the officers to glare even more. So by the time Sally got to her office, she was smiling like she won the lottery, and almost everyone else was close to crying. 

No sooner had she sat down, and then Sally was interrupted by a knock on the door. Jumping up quickly from her chair, she opened the wooden door to find Une standing there, looking particularly stoic, considering it was the first day of the work week. 

"Ready to learn the ropes, Instructor Po?" Une asked, leading the blonde woman down the hall. She didn't expect a reply, so she didn't watch the young woman sign.

::Never been more ready my whole life.::

And the truth in that statement was uncanny. All of her life had been spent dealing with disrespect that was dished out to her. Her family had been a web of traditionalists, and being only part Chinese, not to mention a woman, put her at the lowest of the low. It didn't matter that Sally could beat her brother in a martial arts fight. It didn't matter that she was as smart as her other brother, who was a scholar. All that mattered was that she was a girl. Sally's family had felt that bearing a girl was some sort of curse or damnation. So, naturally, Sally blessed her femininity. Oh goodie, another reason for them to condemn her. 

What wretched luck.   

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A youthful officer hummed tunelessly, his long chestnut braid swishing the top of his butt as he walked cheerful down the corridors. Swinging open an office door happily, the young man greeted his partner with his characteristic grin. As expected, he got a silent glare in return. Heero Yuy was so predictable. 

  


Plopping in a chair ungracefully, the man, Duo Maxwell, studied his partner before asking a question he already knew the answer to. 

"Did ya hear about Sal's promotion?"

"Hn," the Prussian-eyed man replied with a nod. 

For a lack of nothing better to do, Duo shifted through some old reports that had needed "looking over" according to Une. Personally, he thought it was a load of B.S. But hey, what did he know?

Things had been so slow lately, and Duo was not one who took well to sitting around. If things didn't pick up he was going to go insane. Of course, having Mr. Stoic as a partner didn't help. The violet-eyed man smirked. He'd rather have a cute little female officer to partner with. With a shake of his head, Duo dismissed the thought. It was true he had a lot of admirers, but his love life was seriously lacking. It wasn't that he didn't like any of the girls he met, it's just...well...he really couldn't explain. Though Duo was known as a lady's man, he firmly believed in soul mates and had not been fortunate enough to meet his yet. 

Duo shook his head in amazement. 

"Things must be slow," he thought, "I'm thinking about that soul mate shit again."

And that's exactly how it made him feel. 

Shit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jason Sprague skimmed through an old car magazine, boredom weighing heavily on him. He was 48 and still working as a car mechanic. Man, did he need a promotion.

His whole life he had mostly been a bum. His dad was an alcoholic, and his mom was a prostitute. Not exactly a formula for success, that's for sure. He had ran away from home at 14 when he found out his mom had committed suicide. There was no way he was staying in that house with his old man. He could sympathize with his mom for taking her life. He had lived on the streets for some time, selling drugs and running from the police. He never took the drugs himself, just trafficked them. Finally, at 24, he left his street life and looked for cheap labor. He had learned the basics of mechanics from some small-time mechanic, and had been teaching himself ever since. 

He might not be the best, but he had seniority over the young man who threatened his chance at manager. Trowa was his name. Trowa Bloom*

  


Jason couldn't afford to lose. Too much was riding on this promotion.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Somewhere in Winner Apartments, a young man with sandy brown hair and gray eyes laughed maniacally. 

Time to put his plan into action. Lester would make sure he won.

*I picked Bloom as a last name as a compromise. I didn't want to call him Triton, but I didn't want to change Catherine's last name to Barton. So I changed Trowa's to Bloom.  

A/N: Ooooh, introduction to some good characters as well as some eeeeevil ones. I hope ya liked this chapter. Oh and in case you're wondering "where's Wufei?", he was in the part with Sally, although I didn't write about it. During the 'in between' scenes, Wufei and Sally learned a few new rules and expectations for their job. I didn't add that because I figured it would be pretty boring. 

As always, please review!

Luvvies, KaT aka Mistress Shinigami


	3. The Lightning Strikes

A/N: Alrighty, here's chapter three. Sorta violent, or graphic. Nothin' too bad. Sorry it took so long, but I wanna finish "When We Were Young" so I can have more time for this and "Windows To the Soul." 

Disclaimer: I do not own GW. I am penniless, nickeless, dimeless, dollarless, blah blah blah…so don't sue me. 

"The Lightning Strikes"

Sally skimmed through an old report, lacking enthusiasm. It was Tuesday night, and her thrill at being promoted to an investigator had worn out and a dull boredom took its place. Being new to the job left Sally and her partner, Wufei, at the bottom of the scale. They had been stuck over viewing some old reports, and both of them lacked the seniority to demand a more worthwhile job. So here Sally was, sitting across from her new partner who had pulled a chair up to her desk to make reading the reports easier. 

The young Chinese woman new little of the man, and she didn't think she'd be getting to know him anytime soon. Normally this would have been all right with Sally, but there was something about Wufei that intrigued her, so she tried to make the best of the new arrangement. 

Running a bronze hand through his dark hair, Wufei looked up from a packet of papers and studied Sally cryptically. 

"If they would get a new intern soon, we wouldn't be stuck with such miniscule tasks," he said with contempt, tilting the chair back and studying the far wall.

He didn't seem to expect a reply so Sally offered none. 

"I'm not going to judge," he continued, and Sally looked up, for she had not expected him to go on, "But I know that my skills are being wasted sitting here." His gaze captured Sally's.

::It's not like I enjoy this, either:: Sally motioned, raising a delicate eyebrow. 

Breaking away from her eyes, the Asian man turned back to the papers at hand, and the two fell back into silence, but their minds were far from paperwork. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~                  

Catherine slipped on a light coat, and then turned to give Trowa a sisterly kiss on the cheek.

"I'm going to run to the grocery store, and then I am going to go to the bank to put the rest of our savings in our account. I shouldn't be over an hour and a half," she told him, opening the door to their apartment and walking off with a happy wave.

Trowa watched her leave, unable to keep himself from worrying slightly. He always worried when Cathy left on her own, even though she swore she could defend herself. 

  


Trowa had a reason to worry, though. A young man living in Winner Apartments, Lester Johnson was his name, had shown interest in Catherine a couple of months ago. Trowa had chased him away, threatening physical harm if he did not leave his sister alone. He hadn't heard from him yet, and Cathy had said nothing of Lester's affections. Trowa had assumed the young man had given up. 

In an attempt to keep his mind off of anxiety, Trowa picked up a book off of the coffee table. 

He had no idea what was happening not far away...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Quatre looked up as he heard the door of his apartment building opening. The blonde Arabian watched silently as a redheaded woman, Catherine if his memory was correct, opening the door and stepping outside, letting a small raven-haired woman inside in the process. 

The pixie-like woman smiled as she saw Quatre, and walked...well...more like skipped, over to the blonde man. 

"Hi there, my name's Hilde Schbeiker!" she said brightly, "I called about an apartment..."

Quatre nodded in recognition, clicking a few keys on the computer, and found Miss Schbeiker's new apartment.

"Room 11, right next to Mr. And Miss Barton who're in room 12. They're a nice pair, brother and sister I believe," Quatre said, picking up two keys and handing them to the raven-haired woman. 

"There's an ice machine in the cubby hole next to room 13, which is Jason Sprague's room," he said conversationally. The woman was easy to talk to. 

"Thanks!" Hilde called with a wave as she started off towards the corridor. She decided she had better get some ice first...she still had a cooler from the long drive over here, and it was full of iced teas and cokes. 

The German woman made a valiant attempt to open the ice door, but it was stuck! She pulled harder, and only resulted in falling on her butt as her grip slipped. Frowning at the stubborn machine, she stood once again and rubbed her backside which was sore from the slight topple. Hilde suddenly remembered Quatre saying that a Jason Sprague was in room 13, which was right next to the ice machine. 

Walking over to room 13, Hilde rapped on the door with her knuckles, and jumped back in surprise when the door opened on its hinges. Why was the door not shut all the way?

"Mr. Sprague?" Hilde called, taking a hesitant step into the apartment, and after turning the corner suddenly wished she hadn't walked in at all. 

  


For lying on the ground like a broken doll was a middle-aged man, Mr. Sprague she guessed. A large knife wound was gaping in the middle of his chest, and Hilde's stomach churned at the sight of the bloodied hole, which seemed to have been carved out. There were slash marks on his face, and his eyes had been gouged out, much to Hilde's disgust. The wounds were actually still wet looking, so they must be rather fresh. 

Hilde backed away from the fallen man slowly, and if she hadn't been in shock she would have been surprised her legs were actually holding her weight. The woman let out a small whimper, and then turned and fled down the hall, running in the direction of the lobby. Her only thoughts were. _Get away. Find Quatre. But get away._

"Murder!" the young German yelled, grabbing onto the phone on Quatre's desk, "He's been murdered, call the police!"

Quatre watched in shock as she dialed 9-1-1, and then began frantically relaying her message to the operator.

Quatre's first thought had been horror: someone he knew had been murdered.

His second thought was: The murderer was still near by.

His third thought was: My business will fail after this. My father was right...

Quatre was too caught up to notice that Hilde was clutching the desk for support, her legs finally giving out underneath her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Duo gave a huge yawn, and Heero scowled at him from across the office.

"When will things pick up around here?" Duo asked to no one in particular, and was surprised when Heero offered an answer.

"You should be grateful our services are not needed," the stoic man said, "For all you know, the next victim could be someone you care about."

Duo scowled, "Don't talk like that, man," he said almost warningly.

_Ring_

         Heero grabbed the phone off of the spotless desk. If Heero weren't such a neat freak the desk would be unrecognizable. Duo could be such a slob sometimes.

  


"Yuy here," he answered, his brow creasing slightly from what the other person was saying.

"What is it?" Duo asked, jumping up with renewed worry. The last comment Heero made about someone he cared for being hurt came back, and Duo's face grew ashen.

"Al right, Une we're on it," Heero said, then finished with his signature line, "Mission accepted."

"Homicide," Heero told the braided man, "At Winner Apartments."

Duo grabbed his coat and swung it on his shoulders. He had wanted things to pick up, but was regretting his words after all. Homicide duty was awfully messy. The braided man hopped into the squad car next to Heero, strapping his seat belt as the car sped off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sally sighed as she glanced across the room at Wufei. His posture was stiff and she could tell he was about to make another annoyed comment...

The door of the office creaked open, and Sally looked up and saw Une standing in the doorway.

"You two are still here?" she stated incredulously. 

Wufei looked up. "Of course, we have been going over old reports _the whole time," _he growled irritably. Sally chuckled at the young man's annoyance.

"Well there's been a homicide at Winner Apartments, since you two are still here I guess you will be doing the investigation work," the brunette replied, before turning smartly on her heel and walking briskly down the hallway.

Sally and Wufei looked at each other, then simultaneously stood up and grabbed their jackets. 

The blonde woman reached her hand into her pocket to grab her keys, but was stopped when Wufei grabbed hold of her wrist.

"My car," he said, relinquishing his hold on her. 

Sally just shrugged, whatever worked for him. As they walked out to the parking lot, the Chinese woman looked at her wrist peculiarly. The skin was still warm, even long after he had let go...

            TBC……………

A/N: Okies, forgive me for leaving it there. I was going to add the part about when Duo, Heero, Sally and Wufei arrived on the scene, but I decided not to. Oh, and sorry to any yaoi fans. This is going to have 2xHilde in it and 3xMidii. It's also having 5xSally and 6x9 of course. However I have a question for the reviewers and/or readers:

Should I make this a Catherine x Quatre story too? Or should I add Dorothy in here and make it a Dorothy x Quatre. Or (option 3) should I just have Quatre not romantically involved with anyone. Oh and please don't say "put him with Trowa," because I am already having Trowa with Midii. Sorry to all you 3x4 fans.

Thanks for listening, please review!

Luvvies, KaT aka Mistress Shinigami

  



	4. I Know Why The Phoenix Sings

A/N: Another chappie out!!!! Yay! I have finsihed When We Were Young *squeal* so I can work on this more often now. Oh yah, and I got so many different answers on the QuatrexDorothy or QuatrexCatherine thing, and I don't wanna make anyone mad so I'm just leaving Quatre not "with" anyone. Sorry to all you 4xD and 4xC fans.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, but I DO own the right to put Wufei in a potentially deadly situation. Oops, I said too much, didn't I?

FYI...Pairings: main: 5xSally (they're my fav) Others: 2xHilde, 3xMidii, 6x9...and maybe a little 1xRelena. 

"I Know Why The Phoenix Sings" 

Duo glanced around the lobby of Winner Apartments. A lesser officer had already placed the customary yellow tape "Police Line Do Not Cross" all around the building. The braided man shoved a hand through his hair, accidentally loosening the braid. The small flyaways that came undone made him look quite irritable. However, this didn't stop the young raven-haired woman from approaching him.

"E-excuse me officer," she said, her face was pasty and her movement was shaky, "can I leave now?

Duo studied the woman critically. She had short, cropped black hair and cornflower blue eyes, except right now her eyes seemed sort of dull. He could imagine what they would look like if they were alight with emotion, though. He almost smiled at that image. Almost.

            "I'm sorry, miss, but we can't let anyone leave the scene until everyone's been interrogated," he told her gently, but firmly.

Duo didn't have to imagine what her eyes would look like with emotion, because they changed at that moment from a dull blue to a blue flame alight with anger...at him.

"Well excuse me Mr." she studied his name patched onto his uniform. "Maxwell, but _I _didn't kill the man, I was the one who fucking _found_ him, so if you want me to stay here a moment longer you will have to chase me, and then shoot me down and drag my cold, dead body back!"

Duo's violet eyes widened. She had a lot of nerve...

Oh...she was the one who found the man.

Duo opened his mouth to say something, but she wasn't finished.

  


"I came here from up north. I had decided to rent an apartment here, so I checked in, and then went back to get some ice. The stupid machine wouldn't open, so I went to ask Mr. Sprague if he would help me. I found him lying on the ground with a huge-ass hole in his chest, his face slashed up and bruises discolouring his body..." she trailed off at the last part, her face growing pale again as the images reappeared.

Duo patted her shoulder reassuringly, but was unprepared for the impact as the woman threw her arms around his waist and buried her head in his shoulder, silent tears streaming down her face. Murder is a terrible thing to witness, especially when it's unexpected. Being the compassionate person he was, Duo rubbed small circles on the woman's back soothingly, and while he let her cry on him, he forgot about the murder and the dead man lying only a few rooms away...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wufei pulled up beside Winner Apartments, stealing a glance at the woman beside him. Sally was staring out the window, her expression unreadable. The duo hopped out of the car, ducking under the yellow police tape. Entering the apartment complex, the Chinese man tapped his partner's shoulder to get her attention.

"Check security," he told her quietly. "I'll find the officers on duty and get the status report so far."

Sally didn't like being told what to do, but she was in no mood to argue. After all, they had a job to do and she didn't need to get into a petty argument. Walking up to the lobby desk, she noticed a man with pale blonde hair and expressive blue eyes standing behind the desk anxiously. His nametag read "Quatre Winner," so Sally decided she could get security access from him.

::Could I see your security room, please?:: she inquired, flashing her badge in case he was a skeptical person. 

"Sure, down that hall," he pointed to his left (Sally's right). "And at the end of the hall turn left. It's labeled 'Authorized Personnel Only,' so you'll need this to get in." He held out a key which Sally took with a nod of her head in thanks.

Sally walked down the carpeted hall. The carpet was blue, with black designs twisting all down the length of it. It was one of those complex patterns that you could stare at for hours and never quite comprehend. Sally averted her eyes upward...that carpet was dizzying. 

The key turned easily in the lock, and Sally entered the room, quite unprepared for what she was about to witness.

  


A man in a blue security uniform was slumped in a chair, his head resting against a security screen. The screen appeared to be matted with a sticky substance, and as Sally got closer she acknowledged it as blood. Then she noticed a nasty bump on the back of his head. It had split his head open, but the wound didn't look fatal. Sally pressed two fingers on the man's neck. A steady pulse beat against her fingers, and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Someone had gotten into security before the authorities got here...

'The tapes!' Sally thought frantically. Whoever breached security would have been caught on tape. Say cheese.

Flipping open the VCR-like device, Sally confirmed her suspicions. The tape was gone. Wufei would not be happy...

Shit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wufei clasped a notebook in his hands. Someone had written down the current evidence inside, and Wufei was displeased at the lack of information provided.

'Oh well,' he thought. 'Sally will have the security tapes by now.'

Wufei turned into the lobby, eyes scanning the area in a quick search. Maxwell was holding onto some woman; comforting her, no doubt. A blonde-haired man, Mr. Winner, was still standing behind his desk, composing his well-hidden shock. Ah, there: Sally was standing in front of the desk, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She looked agitated...she also had no tape...

Biting back a growl, Wufei hurried over to the two, fixing his partner with a level gaze.

::The tape is gone. Security guard's out cold.:: she signed, her face remaining strained.

Wufei could easily understand Sally's quick sign language, although she had to move slower on others. His mother had been born mute, so he had learned to adapt as a child. It seemed a pity that Sally couldn't talk, though. She had a lot of talent, and it would be so much easier if her voice could be used.

'She probably has a beautiful voice...'

That thought snapped out of Wufei's mind the moment he thought it. 'Dammit, Chang, concentrate.'

"The officers are taking care of the residents and inside investigating," he told her coolly. "We are to check outside for any conclusive evidence. Most importantly, a knife and a tape."

  


::and a blunt object:: she added ::for the guard::

Wufei nodded his acknowledgement, and the two turned and walked outside, leaving a still shocked Mr. Winner alone at his desk.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lester sat on the roof of Winner Apartments, enjoying the view...and his recent victory. He lie comfortably on an old recliner chair, sinking into the old, yet still soft cushions. This had been his secret little get-away. Not even security knew he could climb up there. He loved the seclusion it provided.

Lester stood up abruptly as he heard someone approaching...actually it sounded like more than one person. Glancing over the side of the roof, Lester saw two investigators digging around the dumpster. One was a Chinese man, and the other was a blonde woman. The man was digging through a pile of old cans. The woman was about thirty feet away, sifting through some old newspapers.

Lester's eyes widened, lighting up with anger, and not a little insanity. He had buried the security tape in the pile of cans...

With strength he didn't know he possessed, Lester shoved his recliner to the side of the roof...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sally sifted through some newspapers, but, sadly, she just could not find anything of significance. She began to think her and Wufei were wasting their time. Sighing, Sally turned her attention to her partner, watching as he scowled while digging through the old cans. He was disappointed about not finding anything as well. 

The blonde woman turned her gaze towards the sky, expecting to see the moon hanging in the sky, but the light of the moon was blocked out by a large object on the roof...a large object the was about ready to topple onto Wufei!

She only had a split second to react, but the choice she made was probably the most influential she had ever done...filling her lungs with air, Sally did something she hadn't done in years..

"Wufei, look out!!!!" she shouted, her voice ringing throughout the alley, echoing shrilly off the walls.

  


Time seemed to slow for the woman...she saw the recliner fall through the air, and Wufei saw it fall about the same time she did. He dove out of the way, away from Sally, crashing into some garbage cans that clamored loudly against the pavement...and then the chair landed with a loud "thump" on top of the cans, creating an even louder echo throughout the night. Sally stared at the place where Wufei had stood. Her legs became wobbly, and she tried to support herself as she ran over to the crash site. The recliner blocked the spot where Wufei lay...so she could only hope Wufei dove out of the way in time.

She didn't even consider the fact that she had spoken aloud...

A/N: Oopsies...forgive me for the cliffhanger. I really couldn't help myself. I will try and get the next part up asap for all you anti-cliffy people. Also, I'm sorry for the severe shortness of this chapter. 

*****Please review, comments/suggestions/questions are very welcome!! Luvvies, KaT aka Mistress Shinigami


	5. You Have the Right to Remain Silent

A/N: Sooner than I thought I'd write it. I never realized how much people really _do_ hate cliffhangers. Heh, silly me. 

NOTE: A few people thought it was awfully suspicious how Quatre knew sign language. However, if you look back at chapter two, it said something about Quatre's father owning a big business, yadda yadda yadda. Well, I figured that if Quatre grew up in an environment that was so…worldly…so…sophisticated, that he would have learned sign language. Sorta like how you see many big business people knowing many different languages. I figure, why not sign language?

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, nor do I own the right to evil cliffies. Please forgive me. ^_^

"You Have the Right to Remain Silent"

            Wufei sat up with a deep groan. His hand came to rest on his head, where a large gash cut angrily across his forehead. As his hand contacted with it, it sent a fiery pain through his head. The blood ran in a sticky stream down his face, and he had to blink the thick liquid out of his eyes. His body was bruised and battered from crashing into the trashcans. He murmured a string of curses under his breath, looking up to see Sally standing over him, her face looked very pale in the darkness, making her light blue eyes seem dull. She knelt beside him, moving his hand away from his wound. 

            "I had a little bit of medical training," she said softly, and all of Wufei's protests died on his lips. As she checked his cut, he merely stared at her, blinking slowly.

            "I think you should have a doctor look at it, but I'm pretty sure you don't need stitches," she said, leaning back on her heels and looked at him, her face void of expression.  

            "I thought you couldn't talk," Wufei stated softly, raising his hand to touch her lips lightly. Sally pulled away and stood up, offering him her hand, which on normal occasions he would have ignored, but since he was buried in trashcans, he didn't object. She pulled him to his feet, and the two turned to look at the damage done by the large and tattered recliner.

            "Someone didn't want us to find something," Sally said, walking towards the pile of cans. Wufei stared at her silently…she hadn't answered his question…but, no matter. He would talk to her once they were off the case. Instead, the Chinese man turned his gaze to the sky, gazing at the roof where the recliner had hailed from moments ago. He snorted. Lay-Z-Boys did not merely rain from the sky…so who pushed the chair off?

            Wufei turned as Sally tapped him on the shoulder. In her hands she held the tattered remains of a video tape. The film inside was ripped and torn…most likely from the cans. The outer casing was also smashed, and it was all he could do to keep from shouting out. He had been _so_ close, and it had slipped through his fingers!  

            The two looked up as they heard the scuffing of feet approaching. The figure rounded a corner to reveal Heero, his hand resting on the handle of his gun, which rested in its holster, much like a deadly serpent lying in wait. The man's Prussian blue eyes fell to the mangled tape in Sally's hands, and then to the deep mark on Wufei's face, which was just discernible in the moonlight. 

            "What happened?" he asked in his deep baritone, trained eyes taking in every detail. 

            "It's raining recliners, that's what happened," Wufei said bitterly, unable to stop the biting remark. Sally smiled sympathetically. 

            "Actually, we were searching for evidence when this chair fell out of the sky," she said, holding out the tape. "But I think we were too late."

            The look on Heero's face was priceless. It took an awful lot to get Heero surprised, and right now was a momentous occasion. 

            "Sally?" he asked, face puzzled. 

            Sally looked at the far wall, unable to meet either man's gaze. She took shuddering breaths. Why had she spoken? True, Wufei could have been seriously injured if she had not said anything…but had she gone against everything she had come to believe in all for the sake of a man she had met only days ago? Her stomach turned with nauseousness. She took deep breaths to steady herself. 'Work on the mission, Sal,' she thought to herself. 'Just concentrate on the case.'

            Wufei nudged Heero lightly in the ribs. "I wouldn't ask about it," he told the officer quietly as Sally turned to face them. 

            "Is there a medic down here that can look at Wufei's head?" Sally asked softly, beginning to walk out of the alley. Wufei's hand rose unconsciously to said gash. Heero nodded to her question, and the trio began walking towards the front of Winner Apartments where all of the squad cars were located. As they drew closer, Sally noticed an ambulance nearby, set strategically "just in case." As people moved busily around them, Sally's abrupt speech was forced into the back of their mind. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Duo Maxwell walked out of the front door of Winner Apartments, flanked by Quatre Winner, Hilde Schbeiker and Trowa Bloom. Hilde's cries had long since quieted, and she was studying the scene outside with obvious curiosity. Quatre still looked disturbed about the events of that evening, and he clutched a wad of folders tightly in his pale hands. Trowa's face remained inexpressive, but his bottle-green eyes searched the streets, looking for any sign of a taxi, which would be proof of his sister's return. He was glad she hadn't been here during the murder…she could have been injured. 

            The braided officer led the odd trio towards a small group also approaching the street. He recognized Heero and Sally, and then distinguished Sally's partner….what was his name again…oh, Wufei. Heero stopped in front of Duo, while Sally and Wufei went to find a medic (to the protests of the latter). 

            "These were the only ones in the complex at the time of the murder," Duo said, jutting his thumb over his shoulder towards the three. "Ms. Schbeiker's the one who found him, Mr. Winner owns the place, and Mr. Bloom is a resident, along with his sister."

            "Where's his sister?" Heero asked, his intense gaze studying the trio of people before him. Duo turned to Trowa questioningly.

            "Grocery shopping," the Latin man said, his gaze unwavering. "She should be back any minute."

            Quatre snapped out of his sorrowful reverie, handing out the folders towards Heero, who took them from him silently, skimming through the first one, labeled "Trowa Bloom." Quatre had kept files on all of his residents, and he had brought them along in case the police could make any use of them.

            "You worked with Mr. Sprague?" Heero said with interest, turning his Prussian blue eyes towards Trowa. The man in question nodded, his stomach twisting painfully…this wouldn't go over well…

            The tense atmosphere was broken as another squad car pulled up, and Lucrezia Noin and Zechs Merquise stepped out, immediately walking over to the group of officers and civilians…and suspects.

            "Lu!" Duo called, slinging and arm in a friendly gesture over Noin. "You are just the gal I wanted to see. Do ya think you and Zechs could run another search through apartment 12…we could use a new set of eyes checking it over." Zechs and Lucrezia shared a glance, before nodding and walking away as quickly as they had come. Trowa narrowed his eyes…but his insides were churning.

            'Why do they suspect me?' Trowa thought to himself, clenching his fists that hung at his sides. His head whipped up, however, when he heard a car pull up. The yellow paint betrayed the fact that it was a taxi, and he watched his sister walk out. Her violet eyes were wide as she took in all of the police cars surrounding the building.

            "Trowa!" she called, spotting the group. The flat soles of her tennis shoes flapped against the pavement as she ran towards him, balancing a grocery bag on one hip. The brown bag bounced dangerously, and Trowa relieved her of the burden as she drew up in front of him.

            "What's going on?" she asked him, placing a lock of hair behind her ear.

            "Someone's been murdered," he told her softly, studying her reaction.

            "Oh," she replied in a whisper, her hand flying to her throat in shock, and then much softer. "What's happening…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Wufei scowled as the medic fussed over the cut on his head, applying antiseptic liberally. The Chinese man fought against the urge to wince. He bit back a growl as he heard his partner's quiet laughs.

            "How can you be laughing?" he asked her incredulously. "We were _this _close to the answer to this murder, and it slipped through our fingers."

            "I know," she said, the side effects of her laughter still echoing in her voice. "I'm sorry, Wufei."

            He 'humphed' with indignation, "You should be."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Look at this," Heero called to his partner from behind a laptop computer which was resting on his lap. The braided man walked over to him, making certain to keep an eye on the small group they had been watching.

            "Is that," Duo began but was cut off by Heero.

            "Trowa Bloom's crime record. It appears Mr. Bloom has only been accused of petty shoplifting crimes in his past history," the stoic man stated.

            "What was the stuff he stole? Jewelry, perfume, clothes…?" Duo trailed off.

            "Surprisingly enough," Heero admitted, "it's none of those. Every count against him was for thievery of food."

            "Duo! Heero!" a voice called, and the two turned to see Zechs and Noin approaching them. Zechs was clutching a zip lock bag tightly in his hands, the clear covering slightly smeared with blood. Heero's blue eyes narrowed.

            "This was found in room 12," the blonde man told them, but Heero had his handcuffs out before the sentence was complete.

            "Trowa Bloom, you are under arrest for the murder of Jason Sprague," the man droned. "You have the right to remain silent…" Trowa didn't hear the Miranda Rights as his hands were being bound.

            "Trowa!" Catherine called in fright, rushing towards her brother. She glared at Heero coldly.  
  


            "What are you doing?! Trowa didn't do anything, let him go!" she cried, growing hysterical. "Trowa!!"

            "I think you have the wrong person," Quatre said, speaking up against the officers alongside Catherine. "Trowa could never do something like that, you need more evidence…"

            "They found this knife in his fucking room!" Duo said, angry at all of the commotion that was going on around him and holding up the bag with the bloody weapon."

            "What's going on here!" Wufei demanded as Sally and him approached the scene of all the chaos.

            "We're just arresting the suspect here," Duo said testily, glaring at Wufei. "It's not in your rights to demand things from me, either."

            Sally grabbed Wufei's arm before he could lunge at Duo. Heero put Trowa in the back of the squad car, climbing into the drivers seat while Duo rode shotgun. Hilde and Quatre clutched onto the now sobbing Catherine to keep her from chasing after them. Zechs and Lucrezia had gone somewhere quieter where they could report to Une on Zechs's cell phone. 

            Sally had pulled Wufei away from Catherine and the two attempting to comfort her. The Chinese man was glaring at her the whole time, so she spoke quickly to amend herself.

            "Trowa was with Duo when the attack against you was preformed," Sally whispered, her eyebrows knit in confusion and contemplation.

            "He may have an inside accomplice," Wufei suggested, turning to his partner.

            "True," she admitted, "but why was the knife still bloody? It took awhile for Zechs and Lucrezia to find the knife so it _must_ have been hidden well."

            Wufei nodded, agreeing. "And why would you hide a knife, but not clean the blood."

            "It doesn't make sense," they both thought.

            So did that mean the murderer was still out there?


	6. Forgive Me For Burdening You

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I just wasn't motivated into typing this chapter right away. I didn't want to type it up if I couldn't put...emotion into it. I hope, for the wait, that this turns out to be a good chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters.

"Forgive Me For Burdening You" 

Heero's penetrating Prussian gaze never strayed from Trowa's as the two participated in what appeared to be a staring contest, each trying to get the other to break first. Trowa sat at a table while Heero stood leaning against the wall, looking ever stoic as was usual for him. Their tense glares were broken as the door slid open to reveal a slim woman. Her honey-blonde hair was pulled up in a half-ponytail, flowing smoothly down her back. Her warm blue gaze beheld the two men, and Heero noticed with some amusement that she seemed to be treating them both equally, although Trowa was clearly the murder suspect. 

"Good day, Officer Yuy," she said pleasantly. "My name is Relena Darlian, the new intern. I was told to tell you that Officer Maxwell would be gone all day, interrogating the residents of Winner Apartments." 

"Thanks," the Japanese man murmured, accompanying a curt nod. Relena offered him a smile before turning back from whence she came. Heero couldn't keep his eyes from following her figure as she walked down the hall. He abruptly turned, however, when he heard Trowa give a faint cough. The officer refused to act the slight embarrassment he felt at staring at the pretty intern.

"What is your relationship with the victim?" Heero asked quickly, hoping to catch the other man off guard. Trowa opened his mouth as if to reply, but was abruptly cut off.

"You don't have to answer that, Mr. Bloom," came a swift reply, and Heero turned to see a petite blonde woman stroll into the room, taking a seat next to the murder suspect. "I am Mr. Bloom's lawyer, Midii Une," she added, noticing Heero's expressionless gaze. 

Trowa turned his emerald green eyes to the pretty woman beside him, unable to help the fact that his spirits were lifted slightly. His sister and the landlord, Quatre Winner, had tried to support him, but their thoughts were quite futile. Perhaps this lawyer could help him...and his spirits were inevitably lifted. Finally, someone on his side.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  


Duo leaned against the wall of Winner Apartments, clad in a slim pair of black jeans and a worn jean jacket. His hair was tied back in his signature braid, small wisps of chestnut hung loose from the hair band, giving him a deliciously roguish look. He was grateful he was allowed out of uniform. He found the stiff outfits very uncomfortable, much to his displeasure. Who cares if women love a man in uniform? Some things just aren't worth it.

The young officer turned his head as he caught Quatre walking towards him in his periphial vision. The slim raven-haired woman, Hilde, followed the blonde landlord. 

"Ms. Schbeiker," his conscious reminded absently. 

"Miss Hilde is the only resident here at the moment," Quatre said apologetically, his large blue eyes sorrowful. 

Hilde didn't look at all happy about being interrogated, no matter how sexy the officer was. She was unable to conceal her displeasure, and tried to get the officer to leave her alone.

"Actually, I'm a little busy..." she began, her sharp gaze penetrating Duo's. "I was just about to go get some lunch."

If anything, her reluctance encouraged him. He pushed off from his resting place against the wall, shoving his hands into his pockets unconsciously while his violet eyes searched her blue ones. Hilde realized, with some indignation, that he was, if anything amused by her hesitation. 

"Then you won't mind if I join you?" he inquired, opening the door and motioning for her to go on ahead of him. With a small sigh of defeat, she strode out into the welcoming sunshine, but not after offering Quatre a small nod. Duo gave the landlord a half-smile, before following the blue-eyed woman out the door. 

"Where were you planning on eating?" he asked Hilde, taking long, easy strides beside her. Wherever she chose to eat would be fine for him...he wasn't particularly picky. 

"I was planning on getting some pizza..." she replied, turning her head slightly to watch her slightly unwelcome companion. 

"Pizza!" Duo whooped appreciatively, grabbing Hilde in a sloppy, one-armed hug. "You, Miss Hilde, are a woman after my own heart!"

Despite Hilde's earlier reluctance, she couldn't help but smile. She even laughed with the grinning braided man, despite her wishes to forget about the whole homicide.    

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  


Lucrezia Noin reclined on a cushy sofa leisurely, resting her ebony head against an armrest. Her sweatpants did a good job of keeping her body heat within the cloth, and the warmth contrasted with the cool air that was hitting her bare shoulders, which were unprotected from the tank top she wore. The young woman found her thoughts wandering randomly, first lingering on the homocide case, before taking an abrupt turn to memories she had fought hard to keep concealed. But with the appearance of her former classmate, Zechs Merquise, she was finding it increasingly hard to forget about what happened in the past. Out of all the squads he could have gone to, why was he in hers?

_Knock Knock_

Lucrezia couldn't help the groan that escaped her lips. Sucking up her fatigue, she pushed off the couch and stumbled to the door of her apartment. She pulled the door open swiftly, not bothering with the peek-hole that would have let her see her visitor before they saw her. Perhaps it would have been better if she had...so she could have masked her surprise.

"Zechs?" she greeted with confusion, her deep violet eyes taking in the sight before her. Zechs Merquise was standing in her doorway almost uneasily, with one hand shoved in the pocket of his khaki pants. She opened the door wider to allow him inside, and shut the door softly behind him. 

"I wanted to talk to you, Lucrezia," he told her bluntly, trying to tell himself that he was doing the right thing, and yet he still felt like such an idiot. Scratch that, he felt like a jerk _and_ idiot.

"Um...all right come sit down," she answered, walking in front of him to lead him to the living room. The man followed her slim form as she walked soundlessly on the plush carpet. She sat down on a couch, still warm from her body heat where she was laying earlier. Zechs sat on a couch across from her, sitting on the edge so he didn't sink into its cushions. There was no easy way for him to say what needed to be said...how do you tell the person your falling for that you're sorry? That you're sorry for all those times you hurt her...even if it was so long ago?

"I know I treated you badly in high school," Zechs admitted, and he watched as shock registered on her pretty features, her violet eyes widened visibly, and if he had been close enough he would have felt her heart beat stirring up. 

"That was so long ago..." she murmured, gaze drifting to the floor. "I don't even remember most of it."

"Lying doesn't become you," he accused softly, and Noin's head snapped up angrily.

"Since when have you cared?!" she shouted angrily, sitting up rigidly from her perch on the sofa. 

"Ever since high school, damnit!" Zechs replied, unable to keep his voice from rising. "I was a prick to you in high school, but ever since then I've wanted to start over! I know I don't deserve it, but, damnit Lucrezia, give me a chance!"

  


Her gaze visibly softened, and she averted her gaze away from his, which felt like it could penetrate into her very soul. Betrayal stung bitterly, and it left distrust in its wake. But as Noin gazed at her former friend, and lover, she couldn't help but forgive him for what he put her through. He looked so sincere... she tried desperately to ignore the stinging in the back of her eyes.

"You know I could never deny you anything, Zechs," was her soft answer, and after a moment of careful breaths, she was able to control the waver that threatened to consume her. 

"And you won't regret your choice this time," he told her in all sincerity, standing up to leave, before, after a slight hesitation, planted a quick kiss on her cheek. 

"Don't you see," Lucrezia whispered to the now-empty room, voice thick with emotion, "I never regretted my decision..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Our evidence is flimsy, and totally insignificant!" Wufei exclaimed heatedly, but rather than angering his partner, his statement inflamed her own doubt. The two were seated around a small table, one of the few pieces of furniture in Sally's modest apartment. 

"It doesn't tie together, either," she admitted, running hand through her unbound hair. The pair of investigators was working overtime to try and make sense of the Sprague case. 

"We've come to an agreement, though," the Chinese man relented, folding his lean arms across his chest, yet remained upright in the wooden chair he was seated in. He glanced at Sally before continuing, "Obviously, Bloom is innocent, and the arresting officers are continuing in their folly."

Sally's slender hands folded around a bottle of water. She picked at the label restlessly. 

"True," she agreed, "but you should sympathize with the officers. It appears Bloom was framed, and they were eager to find someone, anyone, to try and pin the blame on." Her fingernail slipped under the paper label easily, and she pulled it off slowly, the ripping sound reverberating throughout the tiny apartment.

"And," she added, her eyes rising to meet Wufei's, and the young man was startled to see that her expression had hardened slightly, "Yuy wouldn't make such a careless mistake. He will realize his folly quite shortly."

"Quite," Wufei replied, his eyes unfocusing slightly as he was lost in thought, staring at the uneven surface of the table. There was something that had been on his mind for quite sometime...and such distractions were not healthy...they made him weak, and feeling vulnerable. 

  


Absently, the Chinese investigator raised one bronze hand towards the bandage that still covered his forehead. He would have been injured much worse if Sally had not warned him about the falling recliner. During the commotion he had almost overlooked the fact that she had spoken...and this baffled the young man. What had silenced her? What had silenced his strong partner, the woman he considered his equal?  

And, deep down, he was slightly uneasy. True, he had preferred working alone, enjoying the solitude and independence. Now that Sally was talking once more, there was no need for him to remain her partner. Would they send him away? Did he want to be sent away?

"What silenced you?" he stated bluntly, deciding he needed to know so his questioning would stop, so his mind wouldn't be plagued with questions of this unique woman before him, and so he wouldn't feel invaded any longer...so he wouldn't feel weak.

His question, quite typically, started the blonde woman, and her pretty blue eyes widened slightly, before she regained her cool composure. Her hands released the water bottle, now labeless, to wring in front of her. Wufei wondered if she noticed how tense she looked.

"It wasn't medical or anything," she admitted, her gaze hovering unwavering on the table in front of her. Wufei was surprised she gave in so easily...he had suspected he would have to pry it from her...not that he had wanted to. Truthfully, he didn't like prying into things, and was usually happy to let people have their secrets. She must have been harboring this for some time...to give in so quickly.

"So I assumed," he replied, studying her closely, although she still refused to meet his gaze.

"Well I grew up in China, and my family was strictly traditionalists," she laughed humorlessly, and if Wufei hadn't of known her better he would have said they sounded like sobs. "I guess it's sort of ironic, then, how my mother married an American man. She wasn't even full Chinese herself, she was only 3/4's Chinese."

Once again, Sally reached for the water bottle. She slid it back and forth across the table restlessly, unsure of what to tell him. She had wanted to keep it to herself...keep her weaknesses to herself. But her body felt ready to burst with emotion, and her partner's presence was oddly comforting.

She continued with a sad smile, stating, "I had an older brother, Lin. He was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. He took care of me after my father left us, throwing divorce papers at my mom as he walked out the door. It wasn't three weeks after my father left that Lin died in a hunting accident. I didn't believe the authority's story about the bullet ricocheting and hitting my brother; I knew he was a much better hunter than that." Sally finally looked up now, and Wufei saw that his suspicions were correct: her cheeks were dry, although her eyes did seem glassy, it seemed more emotional than tears. "I vowed that day to become a detective."

  


Sally set the water bottle down once again, folding her arms over her chest. Her hands rubbed her upper arms in an attempt to create warming friction...something, anything, to keep her occupied.

"Not long after Lin died, my mother got remarried to some traditionalist creep," the Chinese woman continued. "She said she was obligated to marry him: she had dishonored her family by marrying an American man in the first place. My psuedo stepfather said he was doing us a favor, but I didn't like him from the start. He used to treat me fairly, I suppose. I had many chores, but they were simple enough for me, and I did well in school." Here Sally took a deep breath.

"But," Wufei supplied for her, resting his elbows on the tiny table and leaning against them. She offered him a weak smile.

"But," she said, "after my half-sister was born, things changed. I began to be seen as the "scum" of the family. I had blonde hair, blue eyes, and was way too out-spoken in my stepfather's opinion. As my sister began to grow, the differences in us were painfully obvious. She was quiet, demure and obedient. Not to mention her appearance, which was my polar opposite. She had black hair and rich brown eyes. With all her goodness, my psuedo parents began to see what a horrible child I was...and I was punished. 

"I was ridiculed verbally, and my self-confidence wavered dangerously. I began to believe the things they told me were true, despite my usual disregard to their insults," Sally smirked wryly, hanging her head in her hands. "I was pretty stupid to believe it, but I guess the physical punishments aided in my downfall." 

Wufei scowled darkly, his raven eyebrows drawing together on his forehead. It was pathetic how someone would lower himself into hitting his own daughter–whether by blood or not. It was also kind of depressing how someone as strong and reliable as Sally had been broken by those you were to look up to. 

"The beatings hurt," she admitted honestly, her hands clenching and unclenching involuntarily. "But what hurt worse was my inability to fight back. My stepfather was so much bigger than me, and struggle usually meant a stronger punishment. For awhile I actually believed I deserved the punishments."

"What made you change your mind?" Wufei inquired, studying her with his hard onyx eyes, interrupting her story for the first time.

  


"Well one day," Sally answered, taking a shaky breath and licking her lips, "I snuck out of the house to visit Lin's grave. When I knelt to pray, I just got this feeling that I was worth something, and that I could do something with my life. I also remembered the promise I made to Lin. So, when I got home I took the money Lin had hidden to save up for my college education...he knew my parents would pay for his, but not mine. I used the money to travel to America and get my education started once again. I vowed never to speak again, to compensate for the dishonor I put on my family." Sally concluded her story with a sigh, reveling in the huge weight, which had been lifted, off her chest. She hadn't realized how much her past had haunted her.

One question was still nagging at Wufei.

"How did you know sign language, then?" he inquired, a studious scowl marring his sharp features.

"Didn't I mention it?" Sally exclaimed, more to herself than the Asian man across from her. "Lin was born mute." Wufei's registered slight surprise, before he reverted back to his normal mask of indifference. Sally rubbed her tired blue eyes, amazed at how drained she felt.

"It's 11 o'clock, Wufei, can the case wait until tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.

"I suppose," he conceded with a nod, "we were, after all, getting no where with our current evidence."

As Wufei passed Sally on his way out the door, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder, before turning and walking out into the depth of the night.

A/N: Sooo....Sally's past is revealed!!! Please, please, please review with your comments!!!

Luvvies, KaT aka Mistress Shinigami


	7. Sweet and Sour Chicken

A/N: Here is chapter seven!!!! I hope I didn't take too long in writing it…I tried to be fast, honest I did!!!

Disclaimer: Do I look like I own Gundam Wing?? *crickets chirp* I didn't think so.

"Sweet and Sour Chicken"

Heero stood with his arms folded across his chest, his expression carefully remaining neutral. His calm blue eyes were fixed on a large picture window leading into a small conference room. Inside the room, the murder suspect, Trowa, was having a private conference with his lawyer, Midii Une. While the former appeared to have a stoic exterior, the latter was throwing her hands up in wild gestures, here gray eyes bright. Heero studied the pair, slightly miffed that they had requested a private conference. He didn't like being left out, but he knew it was a necessary occurrence.

"You reading their lips again?" came the cheery voice of Duo Maxwell. Heero grunted, turning from the scene at the window and glaring at the braided officer, who held up his hands in mock innocence against the power of Heero's death glare.

"Isn't that against regulations?" came an inquiring voice from behind them, and the two men turned to see the face of the new intern, Relena Darlian. Duo chuckled lightly, putting a hand on the young woman's shoulder and turning from his stoic partner. 

"You make sure you straighten him out, Miss Darlian," he stage-whispered, earning himself another stern look from Heero. The joyful officer grinned cheekily in return, before turning and walking out of the office. He had decided to pay Miss Schbieker a little visit...

Heero turned to the blonde intern, his voice even as he answered, "Yes, it is against regulations to read lips in a private conference." He smirked slightly. "And now that I've told you..."

He stepped up against the anxious woman. His close proximity speeding her heart up, and her cheeks flushed inevitably. He placed his face right next to hers and whispered in her ear...

"I will kill you..."

Relena stared after him in shock as he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lucrezia had never been more confused in her life. Here she was, working with the man who had made high school hell for her, and he wanted to start over; he wanted to be her friend. Now, Noin had never been one to hold grudges...life was too short for that. However, neither was she naive, and she understood the concept of learning from past mistakes. She wouldn't fall so easily into deception and mistrust. And she most definitely wouldn't make the same mistake again.

  


So what choice did that leave her with?

With a groan of frustration Noin leaned back into the cushiony office chair, twirling a pencil between her slim fingers. Said pencil abruptly dropped when the door to her office slid open to revel a very masculine body accompanied by a head of flaxen hair. Just like in her high school days, the Italian had to check herself from drooling. That would most certainly look unprofessional. 

"Hello," Zechs greeted, shutting the door softly behind him. He took the chair opposite Noin's, his ice blue eyes making contact with hers. 

"Hey," she replied, trying to appear nonchalant. She never was one for acting, though. 

Noin waited for him to say something–anything–to break the tension. Maybe mention newfound evidence in the homicide case, or perhaps a small misdemeanor Une had assigned the pair because no one else was available. The raven-haired woman was certainly not prepared for what he did say...

With a look of deep remorse, Zechs said, "I understand if you hate me, Lu," he said, slipping into her nickname from high school. She really didn't like the nickname, but she had always let Zechs get away with it. From him Noin supposed it wasn't so bad. "I honestly don't deserve your forgiveness in the first place," he admitted, breaking her gaze to stare at the wall behind her shoulder, a far-away look in his eyes. 

The memories from high school invaded her mind, and she couldn't forget the way she was hurt, and the way her heart promptly shattered into irreparable pieces. Her sad contemplations stirred anger, a feeling that flared her heart, and made it seem as if it was together once more. As if some magic super-glue had placed the pieces in perfect working order once more, and not a fault was present. 

"I already said I'd give you another chance," she told him shortly, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive manner, as if she could protect her heart from hurt once more. "Why don't you just let it drop?" 

Zechs stood up and walked over to where she was seated, kneeling down on the floor so he was at eye-level with her. His sudden movement stirred something deep within her, and Noin had to will herself not to back away...or throw herself in his arms. Either one seemed a possibility at the moment.

"I want to make sure you are certain," Zechs told her gently, and Lucrezia was amazed at how his voice almost sounded like a caress. Gods, it seemed like she could get drunk off him. He added in the same tone, "Before I–..." His voice was cut-off and her violet eyes caught his in a deep gaze, as if she was trying to reach his soul.

  


"Before you what?" she inquired, for some reason her voice came out in a breathy whisper, and she couldn't control the slight waver at the end of her statement. 

"Lose control," he stated softly, and their breath mingled for several seconds, which felt like an eternity, before Zechs closed the space between their lips. 

His warm mouth gently over hers brought memories resurfacing, and Noin found herself reveling in the warm sensations Zechs was creating...just like he had back then. They had held onto each other tightly, sharing in secrets, kisses and caresses, betrayed only by the moonlight they took up refuge under. The gentle breeze had carried their soft sighs, and the lush grass had cushioned their young bodies. 

The way he was touching her now reminded Lucrezia of those times, and how happy she had been...until– 

Noin pushed Zechs away quickly, and the platinum-haired man quickly broke away, giving the young woman her space.

"Lu..."

"Get. Out," she said softly, accentuating each word. With one last hopeful look, Zechs turned and complied with her wishes.

With the closing of the door Noin allowed her composure to drop, giving into the crystalline tears pooling over her flushed cheeks. Her lips were kiss-swollen, and she ran her tongue over them, unconsciously craving to be kissed again. But she couldn't allow it...it was too much like high school. Gods, she was still living in the past...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sally walked into the police station, closing the door on the crisp springtime air. The usual busy atmosphere greeted her, and she drew comfort from that small symbol of familiarity. She smiled greetings at those who said hello to her, but refrained from speaking. She really didn't want to explain it to anyone. 

Wufei...well...he had been the exception. Forces beyond her comprehension had compelled her to blurt out her whole sob story. Of course she really didn't believe that, but it gave her some amount of comfort, psuedo-comfort as it was. 

The blonde woman's head snapped up in curiosity as she saw an office door open in front of her. Zechs stepped out of the open doorway, closing it behind him. She studied his face closely, and saw how shaken-up he appeared. His breaths were gasps and he looked upset about something. Deciding against inquiring the platinum-haired man, Sally instead immediately walked into the office, familiarity allowing her to forgo knocking. 

  


Lucrezia Noin's face greeted her as Sally closed the door behind her, and the Chinese woman was shocked to find tears rolling down her friend's pale cheeks. 

"Lucrezia, what happened?" Sally asked, walking over to her friend's side and kneeling so they were eye-level. She quickly put two-and-two together, but waited for her friend's answer before jumping to conclusions. 

"Zechs..." Noin whispered, trailing off as if searching for words. She opened her mouth to speak, but blonde officer was, instead, greeted with a sob. Sally placed a comforting arm around her friend's shoulder. 

"Just because the situation is the same doesn't mean the ending result will be the same," Sally offered, giving her shoulder one last squeeze before releasing it and standing up, brushing imaginary lint off of her pants. The Italian officer was slightly amused at how quickly her friend caught on to the situation. 

"You think I'm being foolish then," Noin stated, although Sally supposed she expected an answer. She was no longer crying, though.

"Not foolish," she replied truthfully, "but perhaps you are overreacting. It's a perfectly human quality, ya know." Sally offered her a small smile.

"I guess so..." the raven-haired woman trailed off. "Hey Sal...when did you first start talking again?" Lucrezia had known Sally's inability to talk had not been medical, but she did not know the story behind it.

Sally rubbed the back of her neck almost evasively, taking a small step towards the door. She replied unevenly, "I really don't wanna talk about it...maybe I'll tell you some other time."

Noin nodded, her raven locks moving up and down with the bobbing of her head. She watched curiously as the Chinese woman quickly exited the office. Shrugging, she turned back to her work, trying to forget her quirky friend and her ex-lover from high school.

Outside the office, Sally made a beeline for the restroom located in the police station. She leaned against the sink as she splashed some of the cold water onto her face. The feeling of refreshment washed over her, and she allowed herself to relax. But she couldn't, for the life of her, figure out why she had been unable to tell Lucrezia, her best friend, about her past.

Why had the story so easily poured from her lips last night?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  


Wufei sat in his office, studying document after document on the Sprague murder case. There must be something he was overlooking...but he could not find it. The only known people present in the hotel at the time of the murder had been Quatre Winner, Hilde Schbeiker, Jason Sprague and Trowa Bloom. The records showed that no one else had gone into or out of the hotel. In fact, the last person to leave was Catherine Bloom, and she was recorded walking out of her room, down the corridor and out the door. The last person to enter was Hilde Schbieker, who found the body. It was highly unlikely she was the murderer. In fact it was downright impossible. Quatre recorded that Schbieker had only been gone for about a minute when she came rushing back out. 

That left Trowa Bloom. But his record was practically clean; he had picked up a few misdemeanors for things like theft but all of those crimes occurred before he was employed. His employer had only nice things to say about "the young lad," as did his landlord, Quatre Winner. Even Duo, who had met the guy mere moments before he was arrested, believed they had nabbed the wrong guy. 

The evidence appeared to point towards a bad set-up. The real murderer had attempted to frame Bloom, but had done a messy job of it. The knife found in Bloom's apartment was the murder weapon, hands down. It had been wiped clean of fingerprints...but not of blood. Why would someone clean the hilt but not the blade? It seemed awfully sketchy to Wufei, and in his experiences he would definitely rule it as sloppy framing. 

There was also the valid point on Bloom's whereabouts when the police arrived. He had been with Duo when the recliner had been shoved, destroying the tapes and almost destroying the Chinese investigator. It seemed the chair and the murderer were linked, and Trowa had an alibi during the sabotage. 

So who was the real murderer? 

There were two other residents of the apartment complex, and each had left early in the morning. Lester Johnson had left the complex, and didn't return until an hour after the police had arrived. The other resident, a single mother, had also left early in the morning to take her daughter to day-care and to go to work. She had been out all night at a friend's house, and her alibi checks clean. 

_Riiiinggg_

Angry at being broken from his quiet reverie, Wufei grabbed his phone forcefully off the receiver, answering with a gruff "Chang here." Silence greeted him for a few seconds, and he was about to hang up when...

"Are you working on the Sprague murder case?" came a woman's voice, and Wufei's frown deepened. How did this woman get his office number? Why didn't she call the anonymous murder hotline? Or 9-1-1?

"Yes," he answered, glancing up as he heard someone enter his room. It was Sally. He motioned her over to his desk, placing the caller on speakerphone so she could hear as well. He ignored the puzzled look she was sending him. 

"Someone for the case..." he mouthed quietly to his partner, who nodded slightly in turn. 

  


"I know who the murderer is..." the woman stated softly, almost nervously. Wufei leaned forward in anticipation, although part of him remained suspicious. Fierce typing was heard, and the Chinese man turned slightly to see that Sally was at his computer, and she had connected it to the phone. She was tracing the call, he noted to himself. Smart move, he thought to himself, before turning back to the speaker. Silence greeted him and he began growing impatient. This had better not be a prank call...

"Well, who is it?" he inquired, ebony eyebrows drawing together. Sally had ceased typing, and whispered softly "We have a location..." Chang nodded in acknowledgement, and the officers strained their ears for any sounds on the other side of the phone line. 

"It's-..." the woman's voice was cut-off abruptly with the sound of a large crash. A thump was heard, followed by the clanking of the phone being dropped. Sally and Wufei shared a surprised look, eyes widened in slight astonishment, mingled with horror. What just happened?

"Hello?" Wufei tried, although knowing it was hopeless. A soft click was heard, indicating the phone had been replaced on the receiver, disconnecting them. Sally began walking to the door, and when she turned around Wufei was still seated, staring at the phone and looking slightly perplexed. 

"I have the address," the blonde woman told him, holding up a piece of paper she had scribbled the caller's address on. The Chinese man's eyes rose to meet her gaze, and he stood as well.

"Let's go."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I already told you everything I know!" Hilde Schbieker exclaimed softly while trailing behind Duo Maxwell. The former was dressed in a pair of slim jeans and a long blue sweater. The sweater was also slim-fitting, and it went so low as to cover her rump. Some brave souls might even wear it as a dress. Hilde was brave, but not a tramp, as she so lovingly put it. 

The latter was garbed in a simple black dress shirt, some of the buttons undone to show off his chest. His jeans were also dark, though not quite black. His hair...well...it was pulled back in his signature braid. Duo Maxwell-style, baby. 

"So you say..." the braided officer said mysteriously, grabbing onto the petite woman's hand in an attempt to speed up her walking. He added as an afterthought, "Hurry up! I'm hungry!"

  


The German woman complied, not putting up as much of a fight as she normally would. Truthfully, she had enjoyed going out to lunch with Duo yesterday, and that had been at a pizza place. Today they were going to a small Chinese restaurant. Duo said he was hungry for some sweet and sour chicken, and for some reason that had mad Hilde laugh. In fact, she seemed to laugh a lot when she was around this cheery man, and he always seemed to make her happy. 

With a tug the American pulled her into a cute little restaurant, releasing her hand once assured she wouldn't run away. Duo wasn't certain why he wanted to interrogate her again...after all, when she said she told him everything he believed her. She even mentioned how she had fallen on her butt while trying to open the icemaker…a sight he wished he could have seen.

Maybe he didn't want to question her...maybe he wanted to ask her out for real, rather than hiding behind his police badge. 

Maybe he liked her company...a lot...

Or maybe he liked being around her...

Or, hell, maybe he just liked her!!

With a secretive smile, Duo tugged the raven-haired woman to a table. 

A/N: Next time: Wufei and Sally find the identity of the mysterious caller. More questions are brought up. And...will Duo ever ask Hilde on a real date? What am I saying...of course he will!!

And will Zechs and Noin ever stop being so darn angst-ridden!? Truthfully, I don't know, I haven't thought that far ahead yet. 

Oh yeah, and to clear things up: that little scene with Heero and Relena—well, that was for kicks. I wanted to include Heero's famous quote "I will kill you" (or 'destroy' in the Cartoon Network diluted version). That seemed the best way to incorporate his signature line. 

Thanks for reading, please review!!

Luvvies, KaT aka Mistress Shinigami


	8. Evidence, Meatballs, and Young Love

A/N: Okies, here is chapter eight. I hurried to finish it, I really did. I also have some newer fics coming up, so be on the lookout! Well...you don't have to–but I'd appreciate it! 

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. Lawyers will be chopped up with my beam scythe. 

"Evidence, Meatballs and Young Love" 

Sally stole a glance at her partner, who was currently holding the steering wheel in a death grip. This action turned his knuckles a pasty white. He seemed as tense as she felt, and the woman turned to look out the window once more with a small sigh. The call to Wufei's office had both unnerved and disturbed her. The mysterious caller had simply stopped talking, and the end of the woman's sentence was cut off too abruptly for her to have merely hung up the phone. The whole ordeal was pointing towards another murder, and Sally didn't like the prospect of that. So many had suffered already...wasn't that enough?

To make it worse, the police held–what she deemed–an innocent man behind bars; and the real murderer ran free, endangering any possible arising victims. When would this homicide end? When would the murderer be brought to justice, the innocent let free and the victims' avenged?

Sally was awoken from her quiet contemplations by the car brakes squealing into action. Wufei was already opening his door and climbing out, and the young woman hurried to catch up to him. 

The duo stood before a small, rundown home. Paint peeled away from aging walls, and the grass out front was bare, leaving small patches of dirt. A red Honda lay dormant in a driveway. The driveway created an uneven path to the closed mouth of a one-car garage. The window curtains were pulled shut, and Sally swore she saw one of the pale curtains move. With a shudder, she told herself it was just her eyes playing tricks on her.

Wufei looked deceivingly calm, leading the way across the yard towards the front door. Deep green paint covered the door, and splotches of brown showed through, where the paint had been scratched away. Reaching up a bronzed hand, the young man tapped sharply against the door. Neither really anticipated a response, so neither was surprised by the silence that answered them.

Reaching up with a gloved hand, Sally turned the doorknob. It gave way with a soft click.

"It's unlocked," she said, stating the obvious. Her voice broke the eerie silence that had settled over the pair of investigators.

  


Wufei led the way through the dimly lit house, and Sally, much to her chagrin, found herself keeping close behind the young Chinese man. Who would've guessed her first case would be a homicide?–possibly a double homicide? She was ashamed by her fear, but her shame didn't ease the worry smothering her heart.

Turning the corner into a small kitchen, Sally's hand flew to her mouth to stifle a small gasp of surprise. Lying on the ground lay a middle-aged woman, sprawled out in an undignified heap. Blood seeped from a large wound in her head, creating a small pool of the crimson liquid. Bits and pieces of what must have been a vase were scattered around the fallen female, and a few bits of the ceramic were sticking from the victim's head. Glancing up, the Chinese woman spotted a phone jack. She followed the wire up to the phone cradle. The phone lie on the cradle; someone had hung it up.

Wufei turned to his shocked partner. His onyx eyes were intense, and the young woman felt drawn to the emotion within them. "Let's search the rest of the house. The murderer may still be here." Sally nodded in agreement, and followed behind her partner, although without as much anticipation or fear. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins, and she felt ready for anything. Truthfully, she was thankful the unnerving fear had abandoned her.

Every other room in the house proved empty, as well as the garage. Pulling out a cell phone, Wufei dialed up Lady Une, requesting another team of officers at the scene.

"Do you think that we can prove Trowa Bloom innocent now?" the tawny haired woman inquired after he had placed his phone back in his coat pocket. He appeared thoughtful for a moment.

"Well there was never sufficient evidence against Bloom," Wufei replied, gazing at the wall behind Sally's shoulder. "The only thing against him was the ill-placed murder weapon and the rivalry at his workplace. If his lawyer is half as good as she says she is, then there will be no trouble at all."

Sally winced. "I was hoping we could let Bloom free without a trial."

"It's very possible that we will," he admitted. Sally chewed on her lower lip in thought. 

"How do you suppose the woman knew who the murderer was?" she asked, resting a hand against the wall beside them.

"My guess is that she had relations with the murderer, or knew the murderer on a personal level," Wufei answered. His partner nodded in agreement. But how did the woman know the murderer...

"Did you get the woman's identity?" she questioned, motioning towards the bloody body with a wave of her hand. She leaned her back against the wall, allowing her legs a slight rest. The adrenaline was leaving her system. Her partner nodded in return.

"Her name was Vivian Johnson," Wufei stated, folding his arms over his chest and leaning back against the wall beside her. The blonde woman's eyebrows drew together. 

  


"Johnson..." Sally murmured to herself. "Why does that name sound familiar..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Trowa placed his head in his hands, leaning his elbows on the wooden table. Midii Une sat across from him, chewing on the edge of a pen in thought. She was looking over some papers: evidence regarding his case. She shook her head, blonde hair falling over her shoulders.

"There is no where near enough evidence," the pretty lawyer stated, looking up and catching the silent man's gaze. "Even if you do end up going to court, they would never be able to convict you."

"I can't afford to go to court," Trowa stated evenly. "I can't even afford to pay you for representing me. And then there is Catherine..."

"Mr. Winner, the landlord," Midii replied, "is allowing your sister to board for free. And you can pay me later...take as long as you must."

Trowa lowered his eyes to hide his shame. He hated relying on others for service, all because his parents hadn't been your ideal image of loving teachers. He had been supporting his sister as well as himself for as long as he could remember, even though his sister was the elder sibling. He tried hard to be independent, and he was still unable to provide a living for Catherine and him. 

He raised his emerald eyes as he felt a soft hand cover his own. The lawyer's dove gray eyes pierced into his with compassion and understanding.

"I want to help you," she whispered ardently. Trowa gave her a small nod.

He was actually grateful for her support.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Heero sat upright in his office chair, bent over the computer on his desk. His fingers flew over the keypad, creating an uneven rhythm throughout the silent room. The whole homicide case had him on edge, and he didn't doubt for a second that Trowa was innocent. But he was driven merely by instinct, and he needed more evidence supporting Bloom's innocence if he wanted to let him free without public disapproval. 

Heero glanced up quickly as the door to his office flew open, and Relena Darlian came rushing in, her cheeks flushed slightly. In her clenched hand was a slip of paper, and his eyes were drawn to the small scrap.

  


"Lady Une," the blonde woman stated, rushing over to his desk, "wanted me to give you this." Here she handed him the piece of paper. "She said Investigator Chang just called, and there's been another murder, linked to the homicide case." The Japanese man took the paper, sparing the scrawled address a glance. He looked up as he felt the intern's eyes on him. Her gaze appeared sad, and her brilliant blue eyes looked glassy.

"Too many people are suffering," she said softly, her tone sorrowful and intense all at once. She wanted to ask Heero, the fascinating, stoic officer, to find the murderer so none would suffer needlessly. She wanted him to be careful, as well, because such missions were dangerous. She didn't want him to be injured. Or killed.

But Relena said none of this aloud. But Heero understood, and touched a hand to her cheek softly before walking by her and out the door. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Duo sat at an elevated chair, leaning his elbows against an unusually high table leisurely. The pretty woman in front of him, Hilde Schbeiker, captured his gaze. Hilde was twirling a fork absently in her hand, entranced by the officer's gorgeous violet eyes. Who wouldn't be? After Chinese food the day before, the pair had mutually decided on Italian for today. After all, Duo still had some questions regarding the murder case.

Yeah, right.

"How was your spaghetti?" the braided man asked, stabbing at a meatball absently, shoving the sphere of ground beef into his mouth. 

"Excellent," Hilde replied, dropping her fork in favor of one of her napkins. "If there's one thing I like more than pizza, it's Chinese food. And if there's one thing I like more than Chinese food, it's Italian." 

Duo grinned. "Well I like 'em all!" Luckily he had finished chewing his meatball, and was able to articulate like any other person. Hilde laughed, her eyes sparkling mirthfully. No matter what the situation, this cheery officer could always make her smile. It wasn't any wonder she enjoyed being around him so much.

Hilde's gaze fell as she took a sip of her milkshake. When her eyes moved back to her companion, she was surprised to find his smile had disappeared. In fact, he was staring at her with utmost intensity, chestnut eyebrows drawn together. The German woman couldn't help the slight shock she felt, and she wondered what was wrong...

"Hilde," Duo began, not breaking away from her worried gaze once. "I didn't take you here to discuss the murder case." Here he took one of the woman's hands in his own, and the shocked thrill that jolted through her body was completely beyond her control. She swallowed, trying to rid her throat of its sudden dryness spell.

  


And still Duo's gaze didn't falter, and he didn't release her hand. His skin was warm against hers. "Hilde, I-."

_Riiing_

Duo pulled away from Hilde, reaching into his pocket for the source of the annoyance, which was his cell phone, of course. He flipped open the phone and placed it over his ear.

Hilde placed a hand over her frantic heart, which was going into over-drive. She didn't know whether she was glad for the interruption or disappointed. She was totally split on the matter.

"That was Heero," Duo said, replacing his phone. "I am needed somewhere..." he trailed off, not wanting to tell the woman that there had been another murder. He didn't want to put her through that again.

"Oh..." was all she was able to produce. 

"I'll see you later, Hilde," Duo said, and she heard the promise behind his words. He hopped off his chair, and as he walked by her he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. She turned around in her chair but he had already gone out the restaurant door. Sighing, Hilde called a passing waiter over to the table.

"Could I get the check, please?" she inquired, reaching into her pocket for her money.

"The young gentleman you were with already paid the check," the waiter answered, slightly amused at the lady's stunned expression. He walked by with a shake of his head.

Young love, he mused.

A/N: Squee!!! Tis chapter 8!!! I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter. *grin* There's about to be a major action-filled scene within the next two chapters that I know I'm going to enjoy writing. I hope it won't seem too cliché…oops, sorry I was thinking out loud again. Anyway, please review!! Your kind reviews mean so much to me.

Luvvies, KaT aka Mistress Shinigami

P.S. Sorry Callisto, no Zechs and Noin this chappie ~_^


	9. Hold Your Arms Around Me

A/N: Chicago was a blast. So was everything else that kept me from writing ~_^. Luckily make-up work is finished, and fastpitch is over, too. I will be writing more now that I have extra time. Sorry for the delay. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. 

"Hold Your Arms Around Me"

Sally tapped a pencil against her chin, lost deeply in her thoughts. She was at home, seated at the same table her and Wufei had sat at those few nights ago, when she had told him of her past. This time, though, her heart wasn't filled with guilt and shame and anguish–emotions the past inevitably brought up. This time she was deep in concentration over the Sprague murder case, as it had been called. 

Vivian Johnson had been murdered. Sally and Wufei had been granted the...pleasure of finding her body after receiving a mysterious phone call. And the word pleasure is used in utmost sarcasm. The murder of Vivian was in definite connection to the original murder of Jason Sprague. Vivian Johnson had called with information regarding the murderer...maybe even _her _murderer. That was a little freaky. This most likely means that Vivian has– well, had some connection to the murderer, or even the victim.

Sally picked up a manila file, opening the folder and skimming through some pages. It had broad and obscure information on Vivian. Any in-depth research would have to be received from the police headquarters, from in the computers. Heero Yuy was the one who designed the system, which was virtually impossible to hack into. Luckily, Sally had a password, since she would be conducting a huge portion of this investigation. Sally was powerless to stop the sigh that escaped her lips. Her hand listlessly massaged her pounding forehead. 

"Well I guess I should compare Vivian Johnson's file with each of the Winner residents…" Sally whispered to herself, hoping when the words were spoken they would make more sense to her tired, muddled brain. "Since it's most likely someone who lives in the apartments…"

"Starting with Trowa and Catherine Bloom…"

Each of her searches turned up negative, and Sally was beginning to lose all hope of ever finding a connection. Her pessimism weighed heavily against her chest, and her stress was beginning to constrict her breathing, if only slightly. She pulled out the last file…this one labeled: Lester Johnson. The name caused her to pause.

"Johnson…" Her excitement grew, if only slightly. Johnson was a terribly common name…but she couldn't help but feel hope—little though it was. Two Johnson's in one case must mean **something**, right? Picking up the folders the Chinese investigator stood, reaching into her coat pocket and pulling out her cell phone. Time to walk to the station and do a little in-depth research…and calling Wufei might be a wise idea, too. 

Flipping off the lights, her apartment fell into a deep shadow. The streetlights outside lengthened the shadows. Turning away from the sight, Sally shut the door behind her, preparing for the long walk to the police station. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Wufei ran his hands over a deep red book, worn smooth from its constant handling. A small gold band adorned the edging, giving the book elegance without being flowery. He flipped over the cover, eyes roaming over the Chinese characters as they had done a thousand times. He didn't need the book, for he had each entry memorized…engraved on his heart. Each entry was written in a strong, flowing script. Each entry had the same ending…always stopping with the name…

            _Meilan…_

The entries weren't filled with flighty, emotional thoughts that normally befit a woman. The words appeared to be written **for **someone…for the entries were too concrete to simply be one's thoughts. And Wufei knew. He knew now that Meilan had always known she was going to die. She wrote the journal for him. 

            Each account in the book told of their time together. It was like she had poured her memory onto the pages for him. The book began just a week after their engagement, and ended just one night before her death. The cancer had taken her quickly; it had been in her system for a long time untreated. She was never treated is because no one ever knew of her sickness until her weak condition caused her hospitalization. And by then it was too late…

            But Wufei knew. The first entry Meilan ever wrote revealed that she was aware of her illness. But she didn't do anything to stop it…she didn't do anything to help save herself. And after the funeral…her will was read. She had left all of her books to her fiancé, and after painful months of ignoring them Wufei had forced himself to go through the boxes of books. 

            It made him angry. She had allowed herself to die. She had **left **him behind! After the feeling of betrayal came the silent agonizing over his own self-worth. He wasn't important enough…Meilan wouldn't even live for him…

            The book landed with a small sound on a coffee table. Wufei's hand lay positioned where he had released the book. The sharp ring of his telephone jerked him out of his dreary state. He grabbed the black phone off its cradle, answering tersely: 

            "Yeah?"

            "What a way to greet your partner." Was the teasing reply. Wufei couldn't stop a wry smirk from appearing on his features, but he chose to disregard the comment. 

            "What is it, Sally?" He could almost hear her smile through the phone. 

            "Well, I think I finally found a connection in the Sprague case. I'm heading to the police station now." Her voice was slightly distorted from the thin static from her cell phone. 

            "Specifics?" he prodded, feeling slightly guilty at his doubt. She really was working hard, but this case was simply hopeless. 

            "Lester Johnson was one of the Winner Apartment's residents. Vivian Johnson was the woman we found murdered in her house."

            Wufei's voice held a note of warning. "Sally…" 

            "I know, I know," she interrupted. "I shouldn't be getting my hopes up. But it's the first shred of a connection I've found all day, so I might as well follow it up. That's why I'm heading to the station to do some more extensive research."

            "The station's closed."

            "I have a key."

            Wufei tried to come up with another argument, but simply decided against it. He let out a barely audible sigh. "Fine, I'll meet you down there in fifteen minutes."

            "Too late, I'm already there." This time Wufei's sigh was painfully audible. 

            "Fine, but I'll be down there in fifteen."

            "Okay. 'Bye, Wufei!"

            "'Bye." Wufei replaced the phone on its cradle, standing and stretching lithely. His realistic attitude refused to allow him to hope for a connection with Vivian and Lester, but his partner had sounded so optimistic, and he desperately wanted to trust in her intuition. He reached over and grabbed his coat, pulling it over his arms. The door closed behind him with a click as he took off after his partner. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            A young man with sandy brown hair stepped out of the shadows he had been hiding in. His eyes followed the tawny-haired woman as she continued on her way to the police station. His lips curled upward, just detectable in the pale streetlight. She knew his secret. 

            He couldn't afford anyone to know his secret.

            He slipped his hand into his pocket, fingers curling around a switchblade. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Sally fired up the computer, hearing the monitor hum as it began to load. She had left the employee door to the police station open because she found it doubtful Wufei had a key, since he only recently joined their squad. She reached beside her and turned on a desk lamp, which helped to cancel out the computer's bright screen. She brought up the search database, fingers flying over the keys as she punched in the password. 

            "Vivian Johnson…" she murmured to herself, watching as the woman's picture and a short biography of information pop-up. Her eyes scanned down the page. "Relatives…mother-deceased, father-deceased, brother-living." Sally paused, letting this juicy tidbit soak into her hopes. She clicked on the link marked "brother," which brought up a new window. What popped up to greet her was a picture that she immediately found familiar. It was a young man with sandy brown hair and dark gray eyes. 

            The title of the page read: "Lester Johnson."

            Sally clapped her hands together, letting out a whispered "aha!" A soft sound at the doorway broke her out of her happy discovery. She remembered her partner had yet to show up, and called out to him:

            "Wufei, come here! You should really see this…"

            A voice sneered in reply, "Oh he'll be here. Too bad you won't." Terrified smoky blue eyes looked up, taking in the form of a very familiar man.

            "Johnson…" His gaze was predatory, and the lamplight gleamed against the blade he held. Sally stood up quickly, backing away until she felt the wall hinder her movements. The crazed murderer was blocking her way towards the door, and the only window in the room was on one of the walls perpendicular to the door. She would never make it before him. 

            Lester adopted an air of mock sadness. "Now, you know why I have to do this. It's your own fault, you know." Sally grasped the office chair that she had been seated in. She tried to control the trembling shaking her body. He stepped out of the doorway, walking towards her. She prepared herself to fling the chair at him and make a run for it when a voice interrupted her thoughts. 

            "Sally?" the voice called, and Sally broke her gaze away and watched the doorway as Wufei appeared. 

            "Wu—" she was cut off as Lester sprung, pushing through the office chair and slamming her up against the wall, pressing the knife to her throat warningly. He turned to the shocked investigator in the doorway. 

            "Take one move—either away or forward—and I swear to God I'll slit her throat," the sandy-haired murderer growled, eyes flashing to where Wufei stood stock-still. Sally could feel the itching of blood sliding down her throat where the blade was pressed harshly, and she knew without a doubt that he wasn't bluffing. 


	10. Stronger in Your Presence

A/N: I started working on this immediately after I finished chapter 9, partially because I felt guilty about waiting so long before, and partially because I left the ending with such a cliffhanger. 

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters, nor am I making any money off this fic (like it could ever make any…haha).

"Stronger in your Presence" 

Sally's body was pressed against the wall, held still there by Lester's body. He was facing her, which meant he had to turn his head in order to keep Wufei in his line of sight. The tickle of a rivulet of blood slid down her throat, and she wondered absently–in her fear-engulfed mind–if he realized just how hard the blade was pressed against her skin. From where she was shoved Sally could see Wufei still in the doorway. He hadn't moved a muscle, and seemed to be silently assessing the situation. His face showed his panic, though. His fear only served to further terrify her.

"I'll kill her!" Lester warned once more, as if either of them had forgotten his earlier threat. Sally faintly realized her breath was coming in short gasps, but her brain barely even registered the fact. Lester seemed to finally realize that he couldn't see both investigators at once. He roughly pulled Sally around in front of him, wrapping his arm with the knife around her neck and using his other arm to pin her arms to her side. 

The murderer once again turned to Wufei. "Put your hands in the air, now!" Wufei obeyed, his hands rising to show he had no weapon. The office chair Sally had grabbed earlier rested in between the murderer and his hostage and the doorway. 

The blade against her neck began to sting bitterly. Her voice came out choked. "Wufei..."

"Shut-up!" Lester kicked the back of her knees, and her stance on the floor faltered. He used his grip on her to keep her from falling to the floor. He turned once more to her partner. "Walk over to the computer," he commanded. "But try anything funny, and you'll be cleaning her blood off the floor."

Wufei walked over the computer, seeing Lester's profile displayed. So Sally's hunch was correct...and that's why she was going to die. He paused in horror...it was why they would both die...

"Turn it off," the murderer commanded, his shouted instructions blasting Sally's ear. She barely even noticed in her adrenaline-laced haze. Her muscles tightened and loosened involuntarily. She wondered if Lester could feel them constricting. 

Shaking his head, trying to remain in control, the Chinese man shut off the computer, once again turning and facing the two opposite him. He noticed that beside the computer he was much closer to Sally and the murderer. There had to be something he could do to gain the upper hand. He suddenly remembered an advantage they had. It would be risky–in case Lester knew–but it was a chance they had to take. 

Wufei caught Sally's horrified gaze, trying to make his expression calm and reassuring. He lifted his hands and began to silently sign a plan to his partner, watching silently as she tried to gain her composure...it would be risky, after all. She tried to smile to show her resolve, but the expression came out more as a grimace. Lester was about to issue another command when they struck.

  


Sally swing her head backwards, connecting with Lester's chin. His head rebounded against the wall, putting stars in his vision. Before he could even think to slit the woman's throat Wufei sprang and attacked, disarming him of the switchblade. Springing free from the murderer's hold, Sally lunged towards the office chair, shoving it into the madman's gut. His eyes popped open in surprise, and he coughed harshly as the wind was knocked out of him. Wufei took this opportunity to kick him in the back of his knees, causing him to collapse on the floor. The Chinese man sat on top of him, bringing his arms around to his back. Sally walked over and handed her partner a pair of handcuffs she had retrieved from a supply room. 

"I'll call in for back-up," Sally offered as Wufei handcuffed Lester, who was starting to slowly come out of his daze. His gray eyes flashed angrily; he watched heatedly as the tawny-haired woman picked up the phone and dialed in for back up. He took marginal satisfaction out of watching the woman's hands shake as she pressed the telephone number. He had been so close to killing her...so very close. An animalistic growl escaped his throat, and the woman looked at him in horror once more. 

Wufei brought his hand down on Lester's head, knocking him out for the time being. When Sally finished calling she leaned against the desk, her legs giving out.

"You probably shouldn't have done that," she commented, motioning to where Lester lay. Her partner shrugged impassively, standing up and rolling his neck to ease his tense muscles. Sally gazed at him for a moment, before throwing herself into his body in a fierce hug. If he hadn't of come to the station...

"Thank you so much, Wufei," she whispered, relief causing tears to spring to her eyes, though they didn't fall. "If you hadn't of come after me..." His voice stopped her sentence.

"But I **did **come," he reminded her, "so don't you dare worry about 'what if's', okay?" His awkwardness at having her hugging him hadn't faded, and he patted her head awkwardly. She laughed and pulled away, finally smiling for the first time.

"Of course," was her bright answer. Just then the door opened, and–surprisingly enough–Duo and Heero walked in, the former grinning and waving while the latter had his hand on the handle of his gun. Duo's grin faded to a soft smile and he clamped one hand on each of the investigators' shoulders.

"Great job at finally figuring this case out!" he said. "I knew that if Sally and 'Fei couldn't solve it, no one could!" Wufei shrugged.

"It was mostly dumb luck," Sally admitted. She placed a hand to her throat, feeling the dampness of her blood. "...And I almost got killed in the process." The blood had stained her collar crimson, and now that her adrenaline had left her the stinging in her neck was returning. Duo looked sideways at her, his expression serious. 

  


"But we finally have the man responsible for two deaths. Dumb luck or not, this is definitely an occasion to be thankful for." Heero nodded in agreement from where he knelt by the murderer, and Wufei stood off to the side, watching for Sally's reaction. She remembered something Lin had once told her...

Wufei spoke up, "'Sometimes our greatest accomplishments come unplanned.'" Sally grinned at him, glad he was pleased. But that is not what her brother had always said...Lin would always take her aside, give her a big smile and say:

_We cannot choos_e _when we fall in love, or whom it will be with. For the greatest gifts come unexpectedly, but last forever._

Sally took those things to heart and, smiling covertly at her partner, she turned and headed out the door as more officers came in to take over. She knew she would never sleep...not with her memories so close at hand. But tonight she felt safe and happy, for the murderer had been found. Somehow–in some weird way–she had helped right her brother's death by avenging the victims of Lester Johnson. Wufei watched her walk out the door, struck oddly with an image of Meilan. Shrugging it off he followed his partner out the door. 

After all that transpired tonight he wasn't going to let her walk home. 

"Wait up!" he called, his voice carrying oddly through the night air. He felt more than heard the door close behind him. Sally turned around, smiling lightly, though her eyes looked heavy and fatigued. He wondered if her face mirrored his own. "I brought my car, let me give you a ride." She nodded, not really trusting herself to speak. 

The two sat in silence during the ride to Sally's apartment. The woman simply rested her head against the window, enjoying the cool glass on her forehead. The cut on her neck had dried up, and now she had to fight the urge to scratch it, as it was itching profusely. Wufei watched the rode as he drove, shooting occasional glances her way. The once comfortable silence began to unnerve the Chinese woman, and she spoke up to break it with the first thing that came to mind.

"I don't think I'm going to fall asleep tonight." Was her admittance. 

Wufei glanced over at her once more, but her eyes still gazed out the window. "So what are you going to do?" he questioned. Sally shrugged, her shoulders rising and falling. 

"Probably sit at the table."

"And...?" he prompted.

"Sit." 

"Just sit?" he queried again, raising an ebony eyebrow at the woman beside him. She would have nodded if her forehead had not been resting against the window.

  


"Just sit."

"Oh." At that moment they pulled up to the apartment complex. Sally sat up, unbuckling her seat belt and moving to climb out. She paused for a second, turning and looking at Wufei.

"Would you like to come sit with me?" Her question made him smile slightly.

"All right. I doubt I'll be getting much sleep, anyway," he commented, climbing out of the car. Sally pulled out her key, unlocking the front door. She glanced at him sideways.

"I kinda figured that," she replied.

This fic is beginning to come to a close. A couple more chapters should wrap it up. Next chapter you'll learn just how Lester was able to sneak in and out of Winner Apartments without anyone noticing. You'll also learn some other stuff, undetermined as of now ~_^


	11. L Is For the Way You Look At Me

A/N: Okies, here it is! Long overdue, please forgive me! I'm not going to bore you with lengthy author's notes, so on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I haven't owned GW these past 10 chapters, do you really think I own it now? (Here's a hint: NO!)

'L' Is For the Way You Look At Me

            "It was the perfect crime, wasn't it?" the murderer said, a proud, slightly maniacal glint to his eyes. He sat, handcuffed, in a stiff-backed chair. Across from him stood two interrogators, both gazing at him in distaste. A lawyer sat beside him, desperately trying to tell him to keep his mouth shut. The lawyer was being ignored though, and Lester went on ranting—half to himself—on his superb ability at criminal offences. 

            'Why does he want me to stop?' Lester thought to himself, gray eyes sliding over to the pair of investigators. The woman looked away while the man glared sternly. 'What's the point of committing a beautiful crime and not having anyone know about it? A crime such as mine is like…like art. Does one hide a beautiful painting?'

            "If it was the perfect crime, then you wouldn't be sitting on your butt in interrogation, now would you?" the man, Wufei, asked sardonically. Lester shook his head, tsking almost disapprovingly, like a teacher to an ignorant student. 

            "My attitude as of last night has changed," he said sagely, closing his eyes and nodding his head. "Now, I want **everyone** to know of my masterpiece!" His eyes flashed open, roaming over to the woman, Sally. He smirked when he saw the thin scratch along her neck. She drew her hand up, covering it almost defensively. His smirk widened into a toothy grin.

            "Are you saying that you're willing to tell us everything?" Wufei questioned, folding his arms over his chest and shooting a glance at his partner. She smiled back wearily. 

            Lester held open his hands in front of him, as if a sign of offering. He replied, "Gladly." His lawyer gave up even trying to subdue him, muttering something about not being paid enough to work for such imbeciles. 

            "I knew I could get away with it," he admitted without modesty, tilting his head back, giving him an arrogant appearance. "I knew that Trowa Bloom worked at the same garage Jason did. It was just my luck that I came to find out a new management job had opened up, and both were due for a promotion. I could kill Jason and, with a reliable alibi (and the help of useless security cameras) I could get away Scot-free, and Trowa would be the immediate suspect." Sally's stomach churned nauseously. But her curiosity soon got the better of her.

            "How were you able to return to the apartment complex after having left later that afternoon?" she queried. Lester nodded, loose sandy hair bouncing slightly.

            "Ah yes, one of my better ideas," he said with faux diffidence. "Before I left that day I went out to the fire escape. I opened the door, placing a small wooden block in the lock, so when it shut it couldn't be automatically locked. I knew that the cameras didn't go that far back; they stopped at the corridors towards the separate apartments. I also was able to get into the security room in order to disable the cameras."

            "And then you left the scene the way you had come. You went down and hid the tapes in some garbage cans, and then you climbed the fire escape up to the roof where you watched the police gather," Wufei put in, watching a look of regret pass over the murderer's face.

            "Yes," Lester agreed. "And it was such a shame. I almost succeeded in killing you with that recliner. And I had the chance to cut your little partner to ribbons. Too bad I didn't just kill her." Sally scowled, but couldn't resist wrapping her arms around her torso defensively. 

            Wufei slammed his hands onto the table sharply, causing Lester to start in surprise. "It would be in your favour to try and **not** write your name on my shit list, you understand?" the Chinese man hissed angrily, his intense onyx eyes boring into the man before him, who had the audacity to just smile in response. Sally placed a calming hand on his shoulder, pulling him away from the table and towards her.

            "Duo and Heero can take over now," she whispered, watching as he stepped in front of her and out the door. She sighed, quickly following him so as not to be left alone in the room with Lester and his hopeless lawyer. Once outside in the hall, Wufei slammed his hand into the wall in anger, while Sally just watched him silently as he vented his frustration and anger.

            "That guy really burns me up!" he said heatedly, slamming both fists in the wall before turning towards his partner. He reached up his hand slowly, gently running a finger along the scratch mark on her neck. Despite his tenderness, she winced. But whether from pain or memory was uncertain.

            Shaking his head, he pulled away. "He almost killed you." Sally pushed aside her own fear and memories.

            "But he didn't!" she declared fervently, watching as Wufei turned his back on her. "And do you know why?" Silence was her response, and she placed her hands on his shoulders, leaning over to whisper in his ear. "Because you saved me…" 

The young man spun around suddenly, wrapping his arms tightly around his partner and joining their lips harshly and passionately.

            Her only response was to clutch onto him just as desperately. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Noin leaned back in her chair, swiveling around in circles. Her head was leaning back against the chair's backrest, and she was watching the ceiling spin around and around and around…

            The soft sound of someone clearing their throat stopped her rotations abruptly. She glanced up, a modest blush over her cheeks spread at being caught playing round in her office chair. Zechs was the source of the noise; he stood just inside her office doorway. They hadn't talked much since their…incident a couple of days ago. And Noin both wanted and dreaded the day when they would talk about what happened. She hated being split on such matters.

            Her flaxen-haired partner fully entered her office, shutting the door lightly behind him. Her eyes followed his tall form as he walked over to a chair across from her desk. Noin didn't miss the way his eyes darted over to her frequently, and he appeared almost…hurt? Wary? Of her? Noin shook her head. That wasn't likely. And yet…

            "Good morning," the raven-haired Italian greeted softly, breaking the eerie silence. The man across from her nodded in return, before revealing the meaning for his visit. 

            "Did you hear about what happened last night?" he queried, watching as Noin's dark eyebrows drew together. Her expression betrayed her confusion.

            "What do you mean?" she asked, motioning for him to be more specific. 

            He folded his arms over his chest. "I mean what happened to Sally and Wufei." At her continuing confusion, he went on. "They found the murderer. It happened late last night, and we didn't receive a call because Duo and Heero were called to the scene. I was only just told of it this morning." 

            Noin leaned forward, interested. "Who was it? And how did they find out?" 

            Zechs said, "Well it turns out that other woman that was murdered, Vivian Johnson, was related to our murderer, Lester Johnson."

            Noin gasped. "From Winner Apartments?" Zechs nodded.

             "The very same," he told her. "But the thing of it is, this lunatic somehow finds out that Sally's onto him, and follows her to the police station." Noin's hand flew to her mouth to stifle a sharp gasp.

            "My God, is she all right?" she questioned, moving to stand up, intent on checking on her friend. 

            Zechs motioned her to sit down. "I saw her this morning, interrogating Johnson with Wufei. She's fine." Noin gave a sigh of relief, her shoulder muscles visibly relaxing. The two sat in a companionable silence, and being in his presence brought back so many memories. Noin wrapped her arms around her upper torso, remembering the time when he'd kissed her. Had she been the one overreacting? Did Zechs think that she didn't…want him? Noin dropped her gaze to the top of her desk.

            "I'm sorry," she whispered, though the man across from her still caught the softly spoken words. "I overreacted, and I–" A finger to her lips stopped her speech unexpectedly. Somehow Zechs had managed to move from his place across from her to beside her in a matter of seconds. He was kneeling beside her, a finger resting against her lips. When she stopped talking he stood up and pulled away.

            "It's okay, Lucrezia," he said in understanding. "I don't deserve a second chance, and I never did." He turned to open her office door…she was ready to watch him leave…but…she just…

            She just couldn't let it end like this…

            "Wait, Zechs!" she called, hopping out of her chair and grabbing onto his arm before he could leave. He turned to her, his face registering mild shock. 

            She tried to continue. "I don't…I mean, I…" it was hard, trying to say something when she didn't even know what she **wanted** to say. She gave up trying, content with looking at him helplessly. He tried to pull away.

            "Lucrezia, you don't have to try, for my sake. We both know that the past still haunts you." He paused. "And rightly so. I—" Reaching up, Lucrezia wrapped her arm around his head, pulling him down in order to kiss him firmly.

            And **that** stopped his speech quite abruptly. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Quatre sat at the front desk in the lobby of his apartment complex. His head was resting wearily in his hands, and there were bags under his large, aquamarine eyes. This murder case was really taking a lot out of him, and he just needed a break. He was glad that Trowa was being released, but another of his residents, Lester, was being charged with the murder. He just wanted it all to stop…

            He heard the sound of the front door being open, and he looked up to see a woman walking in, head held high. She had long, platinum blonde hair that flowed to her knees. She would have been quite pretty if her ice blue eyes hadn't been boring into Quatre predatorily. 

            "Mr. Winner, I presume?" she didn't even wait for an answer before plowing right along. "My name is Dorothy Catalonia, and I work for OZ news. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions regarding the murder that occurred here…" Quatre groaned.

            'I thought they were keeping this quiet,' he thought with exasperation. Out loud, he questioned, "Is this really necessary, Miss Dorothy?" She looked quite surprised at his reluctance, and seemed to take upon herself to enlighten him.

            "Well of course it is!" she exclaimed. "A story such as this deserves to be told! A murder mystery wrought with suspense, thrills, and sabotage!" She began to glow with a kind of fiery radiance. "These are the kinds of stories that are glorious!" 

            Quatre looked at her with a kind of pity, which angered the young woman. He shook his head.

            "These stories should not be flowered up like a fiction novel," he explained. "They should be kept bare, in order to convey the sorrow and wrongness of such crimes." Dorothy looked at him strangely. This man just did not get it!

            "Stories like this _are_ like novels," she ventured. "Only stories like this are better because they really happened!" 

            "No," Quatre said firmly, watching as Dorothy looked quite miffed over his ideas. "You have no right to…commercialize someone's misery all over the nation, making it out to be some kind of sick…fictional scam." The young reporter looked put out…as if she was being told something she never even considered before.

            "You don't know what you're talking about!" she said evasively, trying to regain the control she once had. With a huff of indignation, she turned and literally stormed out of the apartment complex. Quatre sighed, resting his head in his hands once more. 

A/N: I introduced Dorothy to placate a few people. *grin* I thought I'd try to write a parallel between her thinking war was glorious, and her thinking untruthful journalism was glorious. Ah well, I tried. Hehe, what's with all the kissing, huh? Did ya like the chapter title? Finally, I included Zechs and Noin in this chapter. Everyone was probably sick of reading about Sally and Wufei over and over again. ^_^ Even though I never tired of writing them. Next chapter I'll try and focus more on the other pairings I promised. *massages temples* this could be harder than I originally planned…

Anyway, please, **please** review!

Luvvies, KaT


	12. O Is For the Only One I See

Disclaimer: I do not have the pleasure of owning Gundam Wing or any of its characters. *pout* I'm just not special enough.

'O' Is For the Only One I See

            The braided officer whistled cheerily as he walked down the corridor, his black shoes clicking softly against the linoleum. He spared a glance to his right, where Heero was walking beside him, hands shoved in his pockets. The fluorescent lighting offered a strange, artificial glow to the hallway. The pair of officers had gotten a call to come interrogate the murderer in the Sprague case. This miffed the young officer…he thought that Sally and Wufei were working on the interrogation. 

            Regarding the situation that Sally and Wufei were placed in just last night…well…Duo was definitely split on the matter. It was wonderful that they were able to capture this guy, who was a potential danger if he was set loose. 

            But, from what Duo had learned of him from the two investigators…well…the guy was a nutcase. If he got out by pleading insanity, then there was a good chance his mental conditions could be 'cured', and then what? He would be allowed to run free while his victims remained dead. It just didn't seem fair.

            Shrugging mentally, Duo rounded a corner sharply…without looking, and…

            WHAM!

            "Whoa!" Duo exclaimed, catching Sally as she barreled into him from around the corner. "Pardonez moi, mademoiselle!"  On closer inspection of the woman he caught, he discovered her cheeks were flushed. He placed a hand to her forehead after his perusal of her face. Silence followed slightly, broken only by Sally's jarred breathing. 

            "You look flushed. Do you have a fever, Sally?" he questioned, frowning lightly as she shoved his hand away, dropping her gaze immediately to the floor. 

            "I—…I'm fine," she assured him, pulling away. "I just…need some fresh air, that's all." Suspicious violet eyes narrowed ready to call her bluff.  Heero cleared his throat noisily to regain his partner's attention. Duo turned once more to his fellow officer with a frown, and Sally shot the stoic officer a grateful glance, continuing down the corridor as Duo and Heero resumed walking silently. 

            As the duo came to the end of the corridor, they discovered Wufei standing outside a door. His black eyes seemed opaque, and he was staring at the far wall vacantly; his arms were crossed tightly, and his hands gripped the material of his jacket so hard it turned his bronze knuckles a pasty white. Duo and Heero shared a strange look. Just what had come over those two? 

            'It must be from interrogating the murderer,' Duo decided, but he didn't quite believe his easy excuse. 

            Surprisingly, it was Heero who spoke up. "What's wrong with Sally, Chang?" His stern, Prussian blue eyes stared at the Chinese officer accusingly. It had been easy to see that Sally and Heero had always shared some sort of companionship…especially back when Sally didn't talk. Duo's violet eyes widened. It seemed like so long ago…but it really wasn't…his lip tipped up in a slight smirk, amused over his own reminiscence. 

            The black-haired officer turned to them slowly, keeping his anger in check. In fact, he still looked preoccupied. But with what? "I…I don't know what's wrong with her…" His countenance took on an angry look, and his fists clenched even tighter.

            Wufei took off down the corridor in the same direction his partner had gone, muttering a sharp, "Damnit!" Heero followed him with narrowed eyes, glancing up only when Duo opened the door to the examination room. The braided officer gestured widely with his hands for Heero to enter before him. 

            "She'll be fine," Duo assured him as Heero walked past him into the interrogation room, unable to repress the urge to grin. 

            "Hn."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Trowa reached into his pocket, pulling out the key to his apartment, the number '12' staring at him almost ominously. He stuck the key in the keyhole and twisted; the key turned easily in the lock, and he swung the wooden door open. The familiar, homey smell of the apartment kissed his face as he entered. With a frown, he realized the lights were still on. His sharp, bottle green eyes darted around the apartment quickly. 

            'Catherine said she was going out to eat with some friends,' he thought to himself. 'And she knows not to waste electricity on our income.' That had to mean that someone else had turned on the lights. And that someone could very well be in the apartment still. Coming into the living quarters, he discovered a sight he had not expected to see. 

            "Midii?" he questioned, dropping his careful demeanor at the sight of his lawyer. 

            "Your sister let me in before she left," the blonde woman explained from her position on the couch. "She told me to tell you not to worry, that she'd be home before eleven." Trowa nodded, watching as her gaze fell to the floor, where she chewed on her lip uneasily. Her teeth bit into the soft flesh; it was a wonder the skin didn't break. 

            "If this is about payment—"

            "No!" Midii exclaimed, and then softer, "No, that's not it at all." She tried her best to smile, but her nervousness betrayed her in the half-smile, half-grimace she produced. Trowa looked at her closely, watching as she visibly squirmed under his intense stare. 

            "Something to drink?" he offered, walking towards the refrigerator and grabbing a cola for himself. He closed the fridge when he heard the lawyer decline his offer. The cola can snapped and fizzed slightly as he popped the tab. He rested his lean body against the couch's armrest, opposite from where Midii was seated. 

            "Trowa…um…" Midii began haltingly, turning away when words failed her. Trowa waited expectantly, watching from his perch on the couch. 

            'Why can't I just tell him?' she thought to herself desperately, struggling for words. Everything she had thought she wanted to tell him…it just…failed her. She was at a loss for what to say, at a loss of what to do; she could feel him looking at her, and that wasn't helping matters. On the contrary, it was making them much more difficult. Full to the brim with frustration and sadness, Midii did the only thing she could do. She snapped. 

            "Do you even realize how good you have it?" she questioned, her voice coming out as a shrill cry. The suddenness of her statement shocked Trowa, and the look on his face was one of utter bewilderment. It would have been comical, if she weren't so hysterical. 

            "Midii, what are you talking about?" the mechanic queried after a pause, his voice carefully devoid of emotion, and his tone was quiet, and would have been soothing, had it contained any sentiment. 

            "Sometimes, I wish I were you," the blonde woman said softly, ignoring Trowa's soft sounds of disagreement. "You have this kind of…bond with your sister. And you have goals…and dreams." Her voice wavered dangerously, and the man across from her was shocked once more to find tears glistening, poised dangerously on the tips of her eyelashes. 

            "I have nothing," he told her slowly, choosing his words after much consideration. "You have a thriving career…so much so that you needn't wait for payment from broke bums like me." His obvious bitter attitude toward his poverty became even more prominent, and Midii felt a surge of sympathy…but her viewpoint remained immovable. 

            His words of praise towards the lawyer didn't even faze her. "My family is dead!" She said this statement with utmost loathing and anger. The tears were now leaking from the corners of her dove-gray eyes. "My mother died in child birth…bringing my baby brother into this world. And you know how he repays her? He **dies**! My father died too, everyone died!" A choked sob escaped her lips. "They were so sick…I knew it would happen even before…no matter what I did I knew—I knew everyone would die."

            "Except you."

            "Except me," she echoed, her voice dangerously soft. "And I am nothing…I am pathetic!" 

            Trowa still appeared calm, gazing at her steadily and unwaveringly. "You are not pathetic." She stood up suddenly, pacing back and forth across the living room section, before turning back to the man sitting impassively on the armrest. 

            "I **am** pathetic," Midii reiterated. "I'm so pathetic, I can't even tell the person I love how I feel!" With these last words her voice rose once more, and the tears spilt down her cheeks once more. Her face was flushed, and raw emotion practically burned throughout her expression. Trowa could feel her body singing with confined energy, and he found himself drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. 

            Uncaring whether or not it was him she loved, uncaring if she didn't want his comfort, uncaring if she left and he never saw her again…Trowa reached out with his strong arms and pulled her into a tight, warm embrace. Rather then break down into more sobs (like he had expected her to do), Midii clutched on tightly to him in return, lifting her lips up and pressing them against his. 

            For a second he stood stock still, not responding. 

            But only for a second. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Duo shook his head, feeling his thick chestnut braid smack back and forth against his back in the process. He heard Heero shut the interrogation door behind them, and couldn't help but grind his teeth in anger. They had been done questioning the murderer long ago, but Heero and Duo had stayed behind to discuss all that they had discovered. It was helpful, but more than a little bit aggravating. Lester was cocky, not to mention loony. 

            'He won't get out of it,' the braided man reminded himself for about the hundredth time. 'Sure, he has mental disabilities, but he still knew exactly what he was doing, and also the consequences of his actions.' 

            His violet eyes rose as he heard the rhythmic sound of high heels against the linoleum floor. He saw a flash of honey blonde hair and recognized Relena Darlian, the intern who had been hired a week or two ago. He flashed her a grin, and she smiled back slightly, but Duo wasn't born yesterday. He could tell by the way her eyes kept flickering towards his partner. Wanting to tease Heero—but wisely deciding against it—Duo left the two standing in the middle of the hallway as he began his stroll towards the door. 

            "I'd better get going!" he called over his shoulder, throwing up his arm in a sloppy wave. "I'll catch ya later Heero…Relena!" Heero nodded in reply, while Relena spared the man a friendly wave. Duo smirked as he opened the door and stepped out into the late afternoon breeze. Heero owed him one. 

            Duo whistled tunelessly as he walked, paying no attention to the people who passed him by, or the busy cars zooming by. Surprisingly, his thoughts weren't on the murder case, either. He kept seeing a smiling, feminine face in his mind, and large, cornflower blue eyes smiling up at him. He was thinking about Hilde. Last time he had seen her was when he had wanted to ask her out…for real this time, not under the pretense of some interrogation. But he had been interrupted. 

            Somehow, his feet led him to the park, where couples holding hands, men with dogs on leashes, and sweating joggers passed by him; once again, he barely even registered their movements, which was unusual, given his keen senses. A wooden bench was off to the side of the sidewalk pavement, and Duo made his way towards it, sliding onto one end unceremoniously. 

            "I miss her," he realized with a start, stating the phrase out loud and under his breath. He buried his head in his hands, his sharp ears noting absently that the sound of a jogger was fast approaching. He only looked up when he heard the jogger stop in front of him. 

            Clad in a pair of black jogging shorts and a gray tank top, Hilde Schbeiker peered at him with a slight smile on her face, one hand resting on her hip. 

            "If I hadn't seen that braid, I'd have never known it was you!" she exclaimed cheerfully, wiping small beads of perspiration from her forehead. "You're not the type to mope on park benches, ya know."

            Duo ignored her comments. "Hilde! Great to see ya!" He forced a grin on his face, but his insides were squirming. He had broken off with her so abruptly the last time he saw her. What did she think of what he'd been about to tell her? She must've figured it out!

            "Actually, I'm glad I ran into you," she told him conversationally. 

            "You are?" Hope, inevitably, rose. 

            "Yeah, I kinda wanted to ask you something." Her confidence seemed to waver for a moment, but she forced herself to continue. "Since the case has been solved, and all."

"Sure Hilde, what's up?" he queried. As an afterthought, he added with a wink, "You know I'd do anything for my favourite girl." Hilde's demeanor grew less apprehensive, and she smiled in response to his friendly flirtation. She leaned forward, placing her hands on Duo's shoulders and resting their foreheads together, which wasn't hard, considering he was seated and she was still standing.           

            "Duo," she began, and then paused. She continued after licking her lips nervously. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out to eat with me somewhere." At his shocked look, she added, "If you're to busy of course, I'll understand." She made a move to pull away, but Duo resisted, instead pulling her closer until she landed on his lap in an undignified heap, blushing furiously. 

            Duo buried his head in the crook of her neck. "Babe, you read my mind."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   

            "Trowa, I'm back!" called a cheerful, feminine voice as Catherine opened the apartment door, placing her purse on a small table that rested off to one side. "Is Midii still here? I hope you don't mind that I let her in…she wanted to talk to you." She came towards the living quarters, where Trowa was sitting on the couch silently, gazing off into space. "She seemed like such a nice…Trowa? What's the matter?" Seeing her brother so unresponsive, she approached him quickly, grabbing onto his shoulders. 

            "She said she loved me." His quiet, unreadable voice broke through Catherine's fussing, and she turned to him in surprise, her light purple eyes widened. Her jaw went slack, and then began working like mad once more. 

            "She did? Well, that's sure strange! I mean, you've only known her for a couple of weeks, right? Why would she say something like that, I mean…I mean…only a couple weeks! Don't these things take time?" She paused suddenly. "And what did you say, Trowa? You didn't break the poor thing's heart, did you? You should learn to be gentle, and—"

            "I asked her to marry me," Trowa interjected, his voice still remaining quiet. Catherine's babbled stopped, and she stared in unabashed surprise at her little brother. 

            "And…" she prodded after a moment. "What did she say?"

            Trowa glanced up, and his sister caught the sincerity and hopeful glint in his normally cool green eyes. His lips tilted up as he said, "She accepted."

A/N: How's this so far? I was having trouble with some of the other relationships, and I know they all came on so suddenly in these past few chapters, but before it was all about the murder. Now that it's been taken care of, the characters have more time to find themselves, and discover their not-so-covert feelings towards one another. 

Please, please review!!


	13. V Is Very, Very Extraordinary

A/N: Very late in coming…luckily I'm seeing an ending in sight, lol. Then I will have time to work on my medieval GW story and my Inuyasha story. 

Disclaimer: I haven't owned it these past chapters, and I don't own it now. 

'V' Is Very, Very Extraordinary

"Congratulations, Trowa! I heard about your engagement," Quatre greeted cheerfully, gazing over the top of his book to cast a warm glance upon the man in front of him. Trowa nodded in his direction, placing his hands in the pockets of his duster coat.

"Thank you." 

Quatre's joyful demeanor fell for a minute, as he looked at Trowa in slight confusion, slight curiosity. "Don't you think it's a bit...sudden?" Was his query after a pause. 

The brown-haired man gave him a small, almost rueful smile. He said, "Well, it's not like I had really planned it or anything..."

"Do you mean to tell me that you, Trowa Bloom, were the victim of a totally spur-of-the-moment, whimsical, and rash idea?" Quatre cried, but his smiling face belied his incredulousness. The other man, for his part, shrugged his shoulders. 

"What can I say..." he told the tow-headed man enigmatically, his voice cool and neutral, as was usual. The Winner heir shook his head, gazing at the mechanic in wonder. 

"Well, I think it's great!" he said, in an attempt at making amends with the other man.

Trowa was silent for a moment, before speaking up. "We're planning on a long engagement."

"Ah, so you're postponing the wedding until you've actually dated, right?" His tone was teasing, and there was a warmth that radiated from his aquamarine eyes. 

"If you want to put it in so many words," Trowa responded wryly, quirking his lip slightly in a half-smile. Quatre grinned brightly in return. "I need to get going."

"All right, see you later! It was nice talking to you, " the blonde man called back. "Oh, and Trowa?" The emerald-eyed man paused at the apartment complex entryway. "I'll be invited to the wedding, right?" Even from the distance, Quatre could tell that the other man's countenance had grown much more serious, from their previous jovial attitudes. 

"It's the least I can do," Trowa replied softly, before walking out the door into the bright sunshine. It was painfully obvious that he was referring to the apartment complex owner's support during the whole murder ordeal. Quatre smiled, before turning back to his book. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Relena Darlian made her way down the brightly lit corridor, her high-heels clacking rhythmically against the black tiles. She clutched a trio of manila folders in one hand, while her other worried the fabric of her skirt anxiously. It never ceased to amaze her how worked up she could get over a simple thing like taking information to officer Yuy. The door to his office was opened, so she walked in, standing within the doorway. His cool blue eyes glanced up quickly from his computer.

"Good day," the woman greeted with a smile, releasing her skirt and tucking a lock of golden hair behind her ear. Heero nodded in her direction. "I brought you the files for both Johnsons, and for Mr. Sprague." She held out the folders, taking a step forward. His eyebrows drew together in a small frown.

"Isn't all this in the computer's data files?" he queried, taking the folders from her and flipping through one absently. 

  


Relena smiled, completely undeterred. "No. Duo compiled these and asked me to take them to you. He included the updated data retrieved from the recent interrogations." Heero was silent for a while, and she was about to turn and leave when he finally spoke up.

"And...what exactly does Duo want me to do with these?" Was his question. He raised an eyebrow until it disappeared beneath his choppy bangs. Relena couldn't resist giving a light laugh.

"He wants you to review them, and then enter the data into the computer for Sally and Wufei," she told him, and Heero was struck by the familiarity of their squad. Everyone called each other by their first names, dropping all titles and such. It was...kind of nice. 

"Ah," Heero responded. "And what exactly is keeping Duo so preoccupied that he can't do this himself?" 

"He said something about taking Hilde out to lunch." Relena's smile grew wistful. "They're officially dating now. Don't they make an adorable pair?" Heero was only half-listening. So Duo had left him with the work...he stole a glance at his watch; it was 12:07. 

"Relena, would you like to go to lunch with me?" After all, there was no sense in letting Duo get away with all the work, right? The young intern smiled. 

"I would love to."

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~

'Why does everything have to be so confusing?' Sally asked herself ruefully, sitting silently on a wooden park bench, hands clutching onto a small bag. Crumbs of bread and biscuits were inside, and the young woman tossed the small bits out at the pond waters, feeding the ducks, geese, and carp. Her thoughts drifted back to the previous day, after Wufei and her had interrogated Johnson. Then…he had…kissed her; she kissed him back, and—the next thing she knew—she was shying away, only to be caught up in Wufei's apologetic glance. That's when she ran. 

This morning, though the case was still in its prime, Sally had called Lady Une, telling the brunette she would be taking a sick day. The other woman had been sympathetic, though Sally gauged she didn't know her true intentions for avoiding work. 

Throughout the duration of the investigation, Sally felt that she had grown up more than she ever had in her whole life. All these trying experiences, all these opportunities for growth, have deeply affected the young woman, and she found herself looking on life with a whole new pair of eyes. 

She didn't regret going back on her vow of silence; if anything, her newfound knowledge supported this choice. She had saved Wufei, the man who had come to mean more to her than she ever thought possible. He was worth the sacrifice, and so much more. Perhaps, though she had never perceived it, her promise not to speak was keeping her from letting go; it was keeping her from putting the painful occurrences of the past behind her, making her relive and reopen the wounds daily, with every word she signed. When she first met the young Chinese man, she had thought him callous, and more than a little bit pompous. She had always deemed it would be her changing him. But these alterations within her mind greatly opposed this original hypothesis. He had changed her, and in so many ways. 

It had hurt her, to see he was sorry for kissing her. _She had kissed him back!_ The last thing she wanted was for it to be a mistake. She cared for him, deeply, and she had wanted to believe that he felt the same. Maybe she hadn't grown as much as she thought…maybe she was still foolish. 

Silently berating herself, Sally missed the light treading footsteps that signified the arrival of another person. She turned to the presence that sat beside her, eyes widening.

Wufei… 

"Why weren't you at work today?" the young man questioned, his deep eyes gazing out at the pond waters. Somewhere from the waters, a duck quacked noisily. 

"I-I was sick," Sally told him after a pause, pulling out a breadcrumb and throwing it out into the pond. Before the ducks could snap it up, a large carp emerged its head and snatched the morsel with its lips. She turned to look at Wufei, noticing his scowl. He shook his head. 

"I'm sorry."

"Don't!" she commanded forcefully. "Stop telling me that you're sorry!"

"But I _am_ sorry," he stated ardently, his voice a harsh whisper. "Damnit, how many times do I have to say it before you believe me?" She believed it, but she didn't want to. 

Sally changed keys. "Why are you sorry, Wufei?"

"Why?"

"Yes. Why?"

He was silent for a moment, running a hand through the top of his ponytail wearily. "I'm sorry that you have to lie to me. I'm sorry for--…that the way I acted…caused you to lose trust in me."

"I still trust you," Sally reasoned, tilting her head to the side slightly. Her unbound hair fell over one shoulder with the action.        

"Then why did you call in sick today?" Wufei queried, turning towards the pond once more. "You're perfectly healthy, Sally."

"I just—" _Honesty is the best policy._ "I didn't want to see you."

Wufei raised an eyebrow, as if to say, _I told you so. _Sally shook her head, continuing. 

"I didn't want you to be sorry," she said quietly, before he could interrupt. "I wanted to think that you…you thought of me as—as more than a partner. That's why I didn't want you to be sorry…for kissing me."

Wufei blinked, watching as the woman before him lower her head. "But—you were the one who pulled away."

Sally froze. "I did…"

Wufei continued. "I was only sorry because I figured my actions offended you. I don't regret my actions." At this he turned to her, his stare intense and penetrating. His gaze broke when he heard something he had not expected…

Sally was laughing. Her arms were wrapped around her torso, and she was bent over, her laughter ringing through the once still air. 

"Sally?" Wufei grew frustrated. "Woman, what the hell is so funny?!"

"We are," Sally said, glancing up with a brilliant smile on her face. Wufei felt his heart stop. "We had a misunderstanding, but we were both too stubborn to admit it." Wufei smiled ever so slightly. Encouraged by the gesture, the young woman leaned into his side, resting her head against his shoulder. Raising his eyebrows as high as they would go, Wufei wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her warm body closer to his. In the pond, the ducks continued to quack, but the bread was long forgotten. 

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Relena gazed at the man across from her, leaning her arms against the wooden table and taking a sip of her lemonade. Heero was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, a casual gesture. The two were having a quiet conversation, regarding the case, of course. 

            "Do you think he'll plead insanity?" Relena queried lightly, referring to Lester Johnson. 

            "It's highly probable," Heero admitted. "My guess is that's the route his lawyer will want to take. Especially given the interrogation." Relena appeared interested by this. 

            "Why? What happened?"

            Heero closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and staring at the woman in front of him. "Chang and Sally were questioning Johnson, and were able to get a clean confession out of him." His neutral expression turned to one of anger. "The little fucker was actually proud of what he did!" His gaze turned apologetic. "Excuse me." 

            Relena shook off his apology for his language. "So there really is something wrong with him?"

            Heero nodded. "Quite a bit."

            Their discussion was halted as a waiter arrived with their food. The server placed a plate with a cheeseburger on it in front of Heero, and a bowl with a chicken salad in front of Relena. The pair ate in silence for a while, before Relena spoke up:

            "Let's talk about something else."

            Heero paused mid-bite. "Like what?"

            Relena suddenly became interested in her fork. "Um…I don't know." She looked up. "I just don't want to talk about the case anymore." 

            The chocolate-haired man was quiet for a moment, his expression impartial, but inside he was in deep contemplation. "Does talking about the case make you feel…sad?" Relena's bright blue eyes widened in surprise. This young officer had hit the nail right on the head. 

            "Yes," Relena confirmed, gazing at Heero in amazement. She was even more surprised when he continued. 

            "You don't like it when people get hurt, do you?"

            She shook her head. "No. Not at all."

            "Then why choose the police force as a place for your secretarial skills?" he wondered, tapping his fingers against the table lightly, soundlessly. 

            Relena smiled. "I like it here," she told him, wondering silently if he caught the double meaning in her words. 

            He must have, for he replied, "I like it here, too."

A/N: Zechs, Noin, Duo, and Hilde next chapter. Hopefully the next chapter will be the last one, and then the epilogue. Again, sorry for the long wait. I was going to add more, but I wanted to get it out quickly. Please review!!      


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